The Beast of Gévaudan
by CJzilla
Summary: After three-hundred years a vicious, man-eating beast has reemerged from French folklore. There is something not known about this cryptid and V.V. Argost wants the creature; badly. Zak finds that his power may be the only way to stop the rampage.
1. The Beast Reappears

Ohyaho everyone! CJzilla here with her next horror fic! It's a personal favorite, a creature that is both of myth and fact that was nothing short of an unstoppable monster. The Beast of Gévaudan. For more info on this creature you can always Wikipedia it.

Synopsis: After three-hundred years a vicious, man-eating beast has reemerged from French folklore. The Saturdays take on this challenge knowing full well that the Beast of Gévaudan is deadly. Soon they find themselves tangling with V.V. Argost and the man's twisted allies. There is something not known about the Beast of Gévaudan and V.V. Argost wants the creature; badly. Zak finds that his power may be the only way to stop the cryptid's rampage, but he is now in the creature's crosshairs.

As I rampage all over this city, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Love on me... hate on me... I don't care.

AN: CJzilla owns nothing of the Secret Saturdays or the folklore. I do own your reviews and sanity!

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**The Beast of Gévaudan**

Chapter 1

_Reappearance of The Beast_

The day was warm and the sun was high over the rolling mountains of Lozére, France. It was at the end of summer and the leafy trees of the area were just beginning to change to beautiful autumn colors. For the farmers and ranchers of Lozére, it was time to cut grass to feed their cattle over the winter. The feeling of the air all ready had a bit of a cold nip, even for being in late summer. The chilly temperature prompted the plant and animal life around the countryside to begin preparing for colder times.

Plump cattle were grazing in a nearby field, trying to consume as much food before a cold French winter. Then the sound of a large motor cut through the calm air. As the cattle raised their heads, they spotted their beloved caregiver, chugging down the lumpy dirt road on his tractor. Coming to a stop on his beaten but dependable tractor, the farmer pulled the break. Hopping off his machine, he walked to the gate and opened it. As the worn, handmade gate's hinges creaked, the hard-working French farmer was greeted by several head of his cattle, the foremost being a kindly black bull.

The farmer smiled as he placed a hand on the bull's head and gave the kindly animal a scratch on the ear. The bull gave a low moo. The man smiled as the rest of his herd came to greet him. The cattle were fat, contented and happy to see their owner but they all knew what he was at their pasture for; he was to cut the grass. Obediently standing to the side, they watched the man hop back on his tractor and pull his heavy grass cutter into the field. Giving the black bull one last scratch, the farmer pulled his tractor deep into the field, away from harming his cattle. Setting down his grass cutter, he took the wheel of his tractor and began slicing grass for bales.

Cutting neat and thorough lines through his field, the farmer made sure that he got every blade of grass for his beloved herd. But then his tractor lurched as something hard as stone got wedged in the blades of his cutter. Quick to pull to a stop, the French farmer rushed to his expensive grass cutter to find the problem. Upon seeing a stone the size of a loaf of bread jamming one of the wheels, he grabbed it from the machine's spokes. With one large pull, the farmer had pulled the odd looking stone from his machine.

The farmer looked at the stone since he had never seen one like it before. The rock was large, red and seemed to be deliberately cut despite its old appearance. Rubbing some of the packed on dirt, he saw worn golden letters painted on the stone. As soon as he uncovered all of the letters, he found that the inscription was in French.

""The… guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the… guardian"?" He read out loud. As those words left his mouth, the stone in his grasp began to shake.

Gasping, the farmer dropped the stone and stumbled backwards. The red rock tumbled to a stop and trembled in the long grass. The man looked on in stunned disbelief as the red stone began to glow. The rock then began to writhe as spider-web cracks traveled over the golden letters. With a loud scream, a flash of light burst from the stone. The farmer flinched at the bright blast and shut his eyes as a wave of heat hit him. But just as soon at that happened the heat was no more.

Then low, steady and loud breathing was heard.

Opening his eyes and blinking the spots from his vision, the farmer's mouth dropped open at what he saw. A large wolf-like animal stood in front of him. The animal's shoulders stood about four-feet-six-inches tall and spanned nine-feet long from nose to tail. The creature's reddish fur shimmered in the sun as its lithe, long cat-like tail fell to the ground. It had a long, pointed Greyhound-dog-like snout and a small nose. The animal's eyes then opened, and locked to his. The farmer felt an icy fear grip his chest as he saw those red and yellow eyes sharpen menacingly.

The man gasped and moved backwards. His movement prompted the wolf-like animal to snarl angrily, its lips curling exposing long, pronounced teeth glistening against pink gums. The hair on the back of its neck stood ferociously as it turned its body toward him. The farmer's hand floundered for the seat of his tractor, where his rifle was stashed. As the creature stared and slowly stalked toward him, the man's desperation grew. His hand fell onto the barrel of his rifle but the hilt was caught between the break and frame of his tractor. Turning his head, the farmer yanked on his weapon. It was no good.

He knew the large wolf-like beast was nearly on him and he jumped into the tractor's seat. Trying to get away, the farmer felt the creature's claws sink into the leather of his boots. Tumbling off of the tractor, he fell to his back and was once again looking into the creature's terrifying red and yellow eyes. Glaring the farmer in the eye, the beast's maw opened and a low, spine-shattering roar came out. By that time the man was frozen with fear and as the creature eased its long, white teeth onto his throat, he knew he was going to die.

Just as the beast was about to tear into the man, its ears flicked up. In that second, the thundering of cattle's hooves was heard. The creature jumped off the man and growled as it was surrounded by the farmer's cattle herd. The black bull and heifers pawed the ground and formed a wall of hooves and horns around the farmer. The large wolf-like animal laid its ears flat against its head and growled in fury. The cattle stood their ground and advanced to it. Though the beast snarled and seethed, it retreated into the trees. With one last glare at the man, the beast sprinted off into the woods and disappeared.

The farmer stood, hand clapped over his throat to make sure that his neck was not ribboned. The black bull returned to the man and stood close, even as the beast's deafening howl shattered the quiet French countryside.

Halfway across the world, a family of scientists was busy unmasking the secrets of cryptozoology, exploring the unknown and denouncing fact from myth. Drew Saturday was busy inside the family's exotic cryptid plant garden while Doc Saturday was examining their latest finds on the Kur Stone. Finally Zak Saturday was executing _the_ most important challenge of the day: winning his newest videogame against Fiskerton.

"Give up Fisk!" Zak strained, his thumbs cramping as he mashed the buttons of his gaming controller. His red race car was just a hair away from Fisk's and he knew he needed all the luck of a forest of four-leaf clovers to win against his formidable opponent. "I have this game in the _bag_! There's no way you can pull off this win!"

The Fiskerton Phantom, a seven-foot-tall gorilla-cat with white fur and glowing red eyes begged to differ.

"_WIN-_murg!" Fisk growled, deep into the videogame. Using his opposable thumbs on his feet, the gorilla-cat used his hands to cover Zak's eyes.

The eleven-year-old boy with wild black and white hair snarled in anger and surprise that his best friend could stoop this low.

"Aaa!" Zak choked out, not able to do anything about the large, stinky Fiskerton hands clapped over his eyes. "Fisk! You low-down _fur ball_! I'm gonna tell mom-!"

He could get the rest of his rant out as Fisk's blue race car passed over the finish line.

"WINNER! WINNER!" The game chirped. The gorilla-cat threw his feet in the air as his controller clattered to the floor.

"_Winner_-lisir!" Fisk cheered, humming happily as he wriggled on the floor in some sort of happy dance. Then he remembered his hands were still over Zak's eyes.

Flinching a little, the gorilla-cat slowly took his hands off of his best friend's eyes. He got a death-glare by the eleven-year-old. Fisk clapped his hands over his own eyes to hide himself from the rotten stink-eye he was getting.

"Esmosursur." The cryptid stated delicately. Zak growled at his best friend and "brother".

"That was NOT an accident!" The eleven-year-old fumed, getting to his feet and looking down at Fisk. Zak's face twisted with anger and annoyance. "I had no idea you could sink_THAT_ low, Fisk!"

"Usosmurgur!" Fisk flailed his long, lanky arms in the air expressively, his eyes still pinched shut. Zak scoffed loudly.

"I know you don't like to lose! But neither do I. So expect a fight to the death, Fiskerton!" The eleven-year-old stuck out his tongue, folded his arms and walked to the door. Fisk sat up and watched his "brother" move off.

"Iso?" The seven-foot-tall gorilla-cat called after him. Zak stopped at the hydraulic, sensor operated door hissed open.

"To tell mom and to get a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich." The boy responded making another face at Fisk as the door closed behind him. The gorilla-cat rolled backwards before vaulting to his feet.

Fisk ran to the door pleading and squirming just like any sibling would do if their "brother" was going to tattle on them.

About ten minuets later Fisk and Zak walked into the greenhouse part of their huge, highly advanced house, munching on peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches. They scanned the oddly shaped and wildly colored plants before they saw the curvy figure of Drew Saturday off in the distance. The boy and cryptid walked toward the maternal unit of the Saturday family, their eyes glazed over with boredom.

Drew Saturday, a curvy woman with plump lips, white hair and seductive eyes in a yellow and black jumpsuit held a watering can in her hand as she attended to the Peruvian Vine Whips. The lively South American cryptid plant soaked up the attention.

"Hi mom." Drew heard her one son that she birthed greet. Turning, she saw her two "boys" chilling and eating their sandwiches. "Whatchya doin'?"

"Hey boys." She set down her watering can. "Oh, the Vine Whips have been feeling a little ignored so I thought I'd just come down here and water them. I know the sprinkler system could do that but these fickle cryptid weeds get moody when you don't-"

Drew could tell when Zak and Fisk weren't listening to her anymore because they got that faraway look on their faces. Clearing her throat, Drew smiled at her boys.

"So, how'd your videogame go? Who won?" She asked, the last she saw of her son and cryptid they were deeply involved with that silly gaming system. Drew then saw the angry look on Zak's face as he glared at Fisk.

The eleven-year-old opened his mouth to reply when Fisk clapped his free hand over Zak's face. Biting down on his sandwich, Fisk picked Zak off of the ground and flung him into a nearby tree. Drew was stunned as the normally well-behaved gorilla-cat smiled sheepishly at her. The seven-foot-tall cryptid zipped to her and hugged her, obviously trying to mask something.

"Uh, thanks for the hug Fisk, but… what did you do now?" The woman questioned, not bothering to hug the naughty gorilla-cat back. Fisk picked her up off of the ground and hugged her deeper, swinging her back and forth like a rag doll.

By that time Zak had tumbled out of the tree and was running back over to Fisk and Drew.

"_Mom_! Fisk chea-_muff_!" Fisk clapped a foot over Zak's mouth as he held Drew out of the boy's reach. Zak grabbed Fisk's ankle and fought to get his foot off of his face.

Fisk held his foot to his brother's mouth as he hopped around on the other, Drew still in his arms. Zak was angrily snarling cruse words under Fisk's foot as Fisk was growling back at his brother.

"_Musiskurg_!" The gorilla-cat barked at his brother. Drew, got past the vertigo enough to hear what Fisk had just said.

"What? Tell me _what_?" She was getting very fed up with this "keep-mom-away-from-Zak-so-he-won't-tell-her-something-Fisk-did" game. As Fisk jumped around, his leg hit something and he tumbled to the ground.

Drew was safe in his lanky arms and as the gorilla-cat looked up at what he tripped on, he saw Komodo become visible again as he greedily ate his and Zak's peanut-butter and jelly sandwich.

"_Aw_! Umbufow." Fisk shook a fist at the genetically altered komodo dragon. Komodo simply ignored the chaos around him and continued eating the sandwiches.

"Mom! Fiskerton _cheated_!" Zak wiped the dirt and fur out of his mouth left over from Fisk's foot. Drew shook the stars from her head as she climbed out of Fisk's arms.

"Cheated?" She dusted herself off, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "On what?"

Zak's face turned red with anger.

"On the videogame! He covered my eyes so that I would lose!" The eleven-year-old returned. Fisk sat up and started arguing with his brother.

Drew face-palmed.

"Boys! Boys!" She quieted the argument as Komodo waddled up to her, licking his scaly lips. Fisk and Zak stopped wrestling. "This is what I didn't want to happen when I bought you guys that console! You were supposed to have fun and share it!"

Zak and Fisk nodded.

"We ARE sharing it and having fun!" Zak then pushed Fisk. "But Fisk _cheated_!"

Once again, the cryptid and his eleven-year-old human friend were wrestling. Drew glanced at Komodo and grimaced.

"That's enough!" She barked. Zak and Fisk stopped. "From this moment on, you two are grou-!"

"Drew, Zak, Fisk and Doyle; I need you four in the control room ASAP." The intercom suddenly blared with Doc's voice, thus saving Fisk and Zak from being grounded. Drew eyed the nearest speaker and then looked back at her two boys.

"We're not done here. As soon as we find out what your father wants, I will dish out your punishment." Drew gestured as she walked toward the door. Fisk and Zak moped.

Komodo simply licked the peanut-butter and jelly from his smiley maw and tossed his two pals a wily cryptid grin. Getting the stink-eye from both Zak and Fisk, the genetically enhanced komodo dragon trotted after Drew, his scaly belly getting tickled by the grass under his feet.

"Why did you make me tell on you?" Zak growled at his best friend. "Now we're both gonna get the shaft."

Fisk threw his long arms dramatically into the air and spat out a few angry gorilla-cat words. The eleven-year-old boy stood on the ground and stomped off after his mother, Fisk still growling at him.

The hydraulic doors to the control room opened with a decompressed hiss. Drew, Komodo, Fisk and Zak walked into their home's "control room", which was called a living room by other families, and saw Doc Saturday, the leader and father to the Saturday family looking out the window towards the sea.

"Hey pop!" Zak greeted running up to his dad. Pressing his face against the glass of the window, the eleven-year-old blew a cloud of breath onto the glass.

Doc, a tall, brawny African-American man with white streak running down the middle of his black hair, a long scar running down his silver right eye looked at his overeager son draw a smiley face in the moisture on the glass. Then the eleven-year-old wiped his window art away with his shirt's sleeve, giving an evil cackle as he did so.

"Okay, what is it this time?! Sea-monster? Wolf-Man? Or giant two-foot tall spiders that walk on two of their eight legs?" Zak rattled off as he mangled his glass art. Doc just quirked a brow at his child.

Fiskerton quickly walked to the window and blew a breath on the glass. Doc watched, oddly silent with his hands folded neatly behind his back. Then he felt the arms of his wife wrap around his neck and her soft lips place a kiss on his chiseled face. Any other day Doc would have welcomed that. But he didn't react to it.

"Gee hon." Drew's hands fell to his shoulders. "What's wrong? You called us to a family meeting and you haven't said two words. Wow. That's a first."

The woman moved out from behind him and stood before Doc, her hips cocked in a flirty gesture. But Doc's face was steely and unchanged.

"I just got word from… France, Drew. It was a priority one distress call." The man finally said. As Drew's face straightened, Zak groaned.

"France? Home of fancy foods in itty-bitty portions?" The eleven-year-old turned to his parents with a scrunched look on his face. "France is so backwards! They don't even have breakfast!"

Just then the doors opened and Doyle walked in. Doyle was a tall younger man with broad shoulders and flaming red hair cut into a long and wild Mohawk. He caught the tail-end of Zak's sentence.

"Though I would like bigger portions as well, the itty-bitty food is good there." Doyle smirked at his nephew. Zak's face immediately lightened. "I should know; I've been to France before."

Fisk and Zak ran to the newest member of the Saturday family as Doc and Drew managed annoyed yet charmed grins.

"Hey Uncle Doyle!" The eleven-year-old boy jumped into his long-lost uncle's arms, followed closely by Fisk nearly tackling him. The man was taken aback by the sudden hugs he got from his newly discovered nephew and the Fiskerton Phantom but gave in with a smile.

"Hey yourself. You too fur ball." Doyle hugged his nephew and scratched Fisk behind the ear.

Fisk gave an affectionate purr as Zak laughed a little.

"You've really been to France? What were you doing there?" The kid grinned. Fisk even had that stupid, excited look on his face.

Doyle was about to answer when he heard Doc chuckled.

"Another one of your ten-foot fish adventure stories, Doyle?" The older man poked fun at Doyle's fantastic if a little exaggerated stories. The red head shrugged and flung a giggling Zak over his shoulder.

"It was a long time ago, when I was first started out as Van Rook's apprentice. And France is the home of V.V. Argost, don't forget." Then Doyle's smirk fell off of his face as he turned to Drew and his brother-in-law. "Is that what this is about, Doc?"

All eyes were on the leader of the Saturday team. Doc sighed but shook his head and walked to one of the large monitors in the room.

"The branch in France gave us a call a little less than fifteen minuets ago." The man stated as the monitor's screen flicked on. "Concerning one of the most ferocious cryptids that has ever existed."

Finally the picture on the screen showed 18th century engraving of a weird but awesome looking creature.

"La bête du Gévaudan." Doc gestured toward the screen, an icy shiver flying up his spine.

At the tone of his father's voice Zak cocked his head, Fisk flinched at the scary depiction while Doyle frowned and Drew gasped.

"The Beast of Gévaudan?!" The woman nearly ran to her husband. "But Doc! The Gévaudan Beast has not been seen for over two-hundred and fifty years! Are you sure it's not some big wolf or dog… or something?"

Drew was hoping that Doc was wrong.

"No, Drew. The Wolf of Chazes is back." The man's silver eye drilled into her own. Then Zak jumped off of Doyle's shoulder and he and Fisk walked up to his parents.

"Okay. We give. What's this heinous motherhoper?" The eleven-year-old gestured toward the picture on the screen. Doc and Drew folded their arms at their son.

"Okay for one, watch your language and second… it's the Beast of Gévaudan." Doc returned before fear settled on his face. "It is a creature that stands four-feet six-inches tall that once terrorized fifty miles of French country-side nearly three-hundred years ago… and we just received a call that its attacked again."

Zak looked up at Fiskerton and Fiskerton shrugged.

"So? We'll find it, kick its ugly butt and cage it! Just like we've done before!" The boy shrugged with a smile. Drew and Doc shook their heads.

"Zak, the Beast of Gévaudan isn't like the other cryptids we've fought." Drew narrowed her eyes.

"Your mom's right, kid. The Beast of Gévaudan is a man-eater." Doyle walked up to his family. Zak cringed.

"Lycopardus parthenophagus is the Beast of Gévaudan's Latin title, Zak. Do you know what that means?" Doc folded his muscular arms. Zak shook his head, silent. "It means panther-wolf, devourer of maidens. This _monster_ is responsible for two-hundred and ten attacks resulting in one-hundred and thirteen deaths! This is not a cryptid to take lightly."

Fisk was nearly on the ceiling in terror. Then Doc's face fell pensive.

"What's incredible about this cryptid is that mankind in general has excepted that this creature has existed. Most of cryptids are not embraced as an actual living-thing by the public." The man looked at the picture of the famous engraving. "Historical records and conspiracy theorists all agree that there was such a creature as the Beast of Gévaudan. But the one thing they cannot agree on is WHAT this animal was."

Drew nodded.

"Some say it was a wolf or a wolf-dog hybrid, something as simple as a lioness or hyena escaped from one of the wealthy and eccentric lords living on a nearby estate." The woman stated.

"But none of the animals listed is as fantastic looking or killed humans in such a horrific way." Doc cut in. "Historical records claim that there was more than one of these man-eaters and that this creature was killed at least twice. Yet it kept coming back and it kept killing."

He looked at the screen again.

"But the Beast of Gévaudan's reign of terror only lasted three years before it totally vanished off of the face of the earth." Doyle looked to Doc. "Why would such an indestructible cryptid monster terrorize people for three short years before disappearing? And why now, over two-hundred years later, would it reappear?"

Doc shook his head and the three adults went into a thoughtful silence as they looked at each other. They were interrupted by Zak's voice.

"AWESOME!" The eleven-year-old cheered. Doc and Drew whirled around. "We're totally gonna be in some _real_ danger!"

Drew gave her son an angry look.

"And the last mission including avalanches, lava and nine-foot-tall lizard men _wasn't_ dangerous?" The woman quirked an eyebrow. Zak scoffed as Doc folded his arms.

"Yeah, that one didn't count. For the fact that most of the mayhem was created by natural disasters and mom's sudden motivation to beat Uncle Doyle at everything." The eleven-year-old voiced throwing his thumb at his uncle. Drew's face reddened as Fisk dropped from the ceiling and nodded along with Zak. "But this time it's the danger of a real-life man-eating cryptid!"

Doc stepped up to his son.

"Whoa little man." He set a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're going to have to take this mission with the utmost of sober mindedness if you're going to last two seconds without becoming cryptid food." Drew gasped. "The Beast of Gévaudan is no laughing matter and to convince me that you are responsible enough to come along, you're going to have to show me that you are serious about this."

Zak puffed out his chest and gave his father a serious look.

"I am seriously looking forward to the adventure, dad." The eleven-year-old saluted. It wasn't the whole-hearted answer Doc was looking for but it was as close as he'd ever get to it.

The man nodded.

"Fine. Now go pack a bag or two." Zak smiled and ran for the door. Doc looked at Fisk. "You too, Fisk. And take Komodo."

The seven-foot-tall gorilla cat saluted, picked up Komodo and ran after Zak. Doc and Drew watched them leave with concerned looks on their faces. As the door hissed shut, Drew walked up to her husband.

"I don't think it's smart to bring them." The woman said, motherly worry softening her voice. Doc looked at his wife.

Gazing at the woman for a few long seconds, the man took her hand.

"I understand your worry, Drew. But if Zak is going to follow the footsteps that we leave him, he will have to learn how to handle a highly dangerous and potentially deadly cryptid." He voiced.

Drew gave Doc an angry look.

"I do not want to see my boys get torn up by the Gévaudan Beast, Doc!" The white-haired woman growled. "This is far too dangerous for them and you know it!"

The man nodded, his face softening.

"Cryptozoology is and always has been a family affair for the Saturdays." Doc returned. "Leaving Zak and Fiskerton behind would tear them up."

Drew was still unconvinced.

"Zak will have six pairs of eyes open for him. You, me, Fisk, Komodo, Zon and Doyle." He said. Quieted Doyle looked up at his sister and her husband.

"I think Zak can handle it. With everyone looking out for him and with those freaky powers he has the worst that could happen to him would be jet-lag." Doyle shrugged. "How soon do we leave?"

Doc smirked at his brother-in-law whom he still did not totally trust.

"As soon as you pack a change of underwear and gas up that jet-pack of yours." The man answered. Doyle smiled but rolled his eyes as he walked to the door.

"We'll be in the Beast of Gévaudan's crosshairs; I'm thinking I'm going to need more than one change of undies." The red head stated as the door shut behind him.

Doc and Drew shook their heads and went their separate ways, preparing to depart to France and face down nothing less than a monster.

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R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!


	2. Tightrope

Ohyaho everyone! CJzilla here with another update. In this chapter the Saturday family leave for Lozére, France. But waiting for them are three of their greatest enemies and a beast that wants them dead. Enjoy.

As I tear down this city with my claws, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Love... hate... review.

AN: I will do a "dear reviewers" next time.

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Chapter 2

_Tightrope_

Packing to leave to France, Zak walked onto his family's super-zeppelin with a big box in his arms. The eleven-year-old could barely see over the box and he was relying on Fisk, Komodo and Zon who were walking beside him, to guide him.

"Who says a game has to be hand-held to be portable?" Zak snickered to himself, kicking the power cords and game control cords with his shoes as he walked along. "Maybe this is the only American game consol to be in… Where in France are we going again?"

"Yomisur." The seven-foot-tall gorilla cat shrugged as he carried Komodo's pet bed, Zak's suitcases and his toothbrush. Zak hummed thoughtfully.

"Well, here's hoping there are no mimes where we're going." The eleven-year-old voiced, shuttering at the thought of those creepy silent performers.

Just then Zak stepped on a stray cord hanging out of his box. The cord was yanked to the floor, dragging the boy with it. Zak was face down in the box. He groaned as Fisk, Zon and Komodo rushed to him. Fiskerton took the boy by the back of his shirt and gently lifted him to his feet as Komodo growled at the box. Zak held his nose.

"Ow." He murmured eyes watering. "I got an AC plug in the nose!"

Zon then attacked the gaming system inside the box. Zak and Fisk shrieked like little girls and grabbed the seemingly crazy Ornithocheirous. But as soon as they got Zon off of the console, Komodo attacked the box.

"Komodo! NO!" Zak jumped off Zon and onto Komodo. The two-hundred and fifty pound, genetically-altered komodo dragon started eating the cords.

The eleven-year-old grabbed the expensive and valuable entertainment console's cords from Komodo's maw. Despite being as loyal as man's best friend, all allegiance was off when Zak interfered with Komodo's electronic snack. The angry komodo dragon bucked, trying to get the small boy off of his back. Now Zak was riding Komodo through the control room of his family's super-zeppelin.

Fisk was having some problems with Zon. The female Ornithocheirous with teal scales and mane, bright slitted eyes and attitude to boot was not pleased that her beautiful scaly wings were being ruffled by the gorilla-cat. Growling in anger as she was being held against the mammal's furry chest, her wings were immobilized as Fisk's elbows held them to his waist.

"Soisur!" Fisk looked her in the eye, scolding her for trying to attack the box that bit Zak. Zon looked back and snarled again.

Lifting her large bill lined with needle-like teeth, ideal for catching fish, she opened her mouth and gave Fisk's ear a nibble. The gorilla-cat yelped in surprise and dropped her. Zon then picked up where she left off, mauling the box and gaming consol. Fisk jumped on the Ornithocheirous and the two tumbled around the floor.

Just then Doyle came walking in, jetpack and backpack in his hands. Van Rook's former apprentice and Drew's long-lost younger brother blinked at the scene in front of him. There was a box with a drool-soaked, slightly damaged gaming consol in the middle of the hallway as his nephew was bull-riding his genetically-altered komodo dragon. The Fiskerton Phantom was holding the Ornithocheirous's bill shut as he was smacked in the face with her wing.

Chaos... pure undefiled, chaos.

Though this was very entertaining, Doyle raised his fingers to his lips and gave a loud whistle in the air. Komodo, Fisk, Zak and Zon froze, mid-wrestle.

"You know I didn't sign up to be your uncle to be your ringleader, Zak." The red-headed man voiced, holding the box over his head by one of his muscular arms. "In fact, if I am going to be your babysitter, I should get paid at an hourly rate."

Zak pushed Komodo off of him and walked by Fisk, still holding Zon bridal-style. Shuttering in disgust, both cryptids jumped away from each other. Zon turned up her big bill and walked after Zak.

"Womansimurg." Fisk folded his lanky arms and frowned as Komodo walked up to him.

The eleven-year-old walked up to his uncle running his hand over his dishevel black and white hair, power cords in his hand and Zon right behind him.

"Thanks Uncle Doyle." Zak panted holding up the half-chewed electrical cords. Doyle made a motion to put the box down but Zak stopped him. "No! No! No! No! Zon's sensitive to this box!"

He glanced warily over his shoulder at the now placid Ornithocheirous. Doyle quirked a brow.

"A box with a gaming console in it is why you were playing cowboy to that over-grown iguana?" The man asked. The eleven-year-old nodded.

"Yep. And if you know what's good for you, you will not make any sudden moves." Zak gave Doyle the cords. "Just toss the box into the supply closet! Quick! Before Zon goes crackers again!"

Zon yawned, exposing her threatening needle-like teeth. Doyle's eyes widened as he slowly began backing toward the zeppelin's only supply closet. Zon seemed to ignore him, nudging Zak to scratch her head.

Just then Doc and Drew walked into the room, nearly hitting Doyle as he walked backwards toward the door.

"Uh… Doyle. What are you doing?" Drew questioned her younger brother. The red head turned to his sister and gave a light frown.

"No wonder your hair is all white, Drew; you've got some circus to command." With that Doyle walked out of the room, box now in his hands leaving Doc and Drew to scratch their heads. Both parental units walked up to their son and Ornithocheirous.

"Why is your uncle walking on eggshells with a box held above his head?" Doc questioned his eleven-year-old son. Zak sighed and motioned for Zon and Komodo.

"I don't know what triggered it but I tripped into that box and Zon and Komodo bonkers. They nearly mauled our perfect-…" The boy stopped short, trying to weave his words so as not to remind his mother about the gaming system. "Uh… box. Yeah! Box! Fisk loves that box and we had to hold down Komodo and Zon as Uncle Doyle made a break for it!"

Doc and Drew were not buying the story.

"And what was in the box?" Doc questioned.

"Fisk's hopes and dreams." Zak answered, trying to look angelic as Fisk barked an insulted growl.

Drew smiled.

"Then we don't want Zon or Komodo tearing up his dreams now do we." She walked over to the intercom and pressed the button. "Doyle. Will you please take that box and gaming system back down to the house. Zak and Fiskerton are grounded."

Zak dramatically moaned and fell to his knees like Drew had just destroyed his world. Fisk groaned and clapped his hands over his eyes, mourning the loss of their gaming privileges. Doc looked at Drew.

"Since when were Zak and Fisk grounded?" He questioned. Drew rolled her eyes at her overly-dramatic son and Fiskerton Phantom.

"Since Fisk cheated and he and Zak had a fight." The woman returned walking past her crying son and bewildered Zon. The eleven-year-old looked up at his mother and father.

"You HATE me!" Zak cried dramatically, flopping on his back and sobbed. "I risked potential mutilation by Komodo to save it! And yet you take it away!"

Doc and Drew took their seats as they rolled their eyes.

"Zak." Doc turned in his chair to look his boy in the eye. He held his fore and thumb an inch apart. "You are this close to spending this mission inside the zeppelin."

The eleven-year-old stopped his fake crying and pursed his lips in defeat. He lie there on the floor for a second as Zon, Komodo and Fisk gathered around and looked down at him.

"We are going to be SO bored!" Zak looked at Fisk. The gorilla-cat nodded as Zon turned up her snout at him and Komodo waddled away, looking for something to eat.

Fisk helped his human "brother" to his feet and strapped into their chairs.

Doyle ran into the room, vaulted over the railing, up the staircase and to the main lookout. Doc looked up at his brother-in-law.

"Sorry, Doyle. We don't have any extra seats for you." The man with the scar stated, a faint smile on his face. Doyle just gave a thumbs-up.

"Don't worry about me, Doc. Besides, how badly can you take off in this floating pillow?" The red head cracked off, savoring the look of irritation on Doc's face. Sighing, the man initiated the take-off sequence.

It was no secret that Doc still didn't trust Doyle. He scrutinized every little detail of the younger man's habits in order to pinpoint any treachery. Doc still believed that the cocky red head still worked for Van Rook and V. V. Argost. Until he proved to himself that Doyle was true-blue, the super genius father would still be on the lookout for his family.

"Everyone buckled in?" Doc passed his eyes back at Zak, Fisk, Zon and Komodo. Komodo and Zon were quietly sitting to the side, bracing themselves for the slight jolt to come.

"You got it pop!" Zak waved from his chair and console.

"Got it!" Fisk garbled, giving a double thumbs-up.

"Nope!" Doyle called down. Doc ignored his brother-in-law's comment as he looked to his wife.

"Drew, please initiate the horizontal thrusts." He voiced. Drew's hands went to her control counter and ran her fingers along six blinking lights.

Drew flicked a switch with her finger-tip and the roar of the thrusters was felt throughout the zeppelin.

"Horizontal thrusts activated." She returned giving her husband a firm nod.

"Engaging automatic launch." Doc pressed a button.

The ship moved with its automatic pilot and began its reposition for air-travel. With little more than a slight jerk, the zeppelin was airborne and flying over the cliffs that lined the seashore. The cryptids, Zak and Drew began moving about now that they were safely in the air. Doc looked back at Doyle with a smug grin.

"How's that for a floating pillow take off?" If Doc was any less mature, he probably would have stuck out his tongue. Doyle shrugged.

"Fine. But Van Rook's take offs were more…" Doyle made a smooth gesture with his hand. "Whoosh."

That deliberate assault on Doc's composure sent a twitch to his silver eye. The red head hit a soft spot by bringing up Doc's rivalry with Van Rook since they were both super genius inventors and cryptozoologists, even sharing ties to the same woman. Doyle knew little about his master mercenary's background, but he did know that Drew was apart of Van Rook's past at some point.

Doyle held in a big laugh as he saw his brother-in-law get steamed. Drew cleared her throat, cutting through the subject.

"Doyle, why don't you give me a hand with the weaponry and containment unit we will use against the Beast of Gévaudan?" The woman stated, motioning for her brother to follow as she walked toward the door. Zak and Fisk, who were watching Doc and Doyle's interchange snapped back to reality.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" The eleven-year-old jumped out of his seat and ran to his mom. "We're gonna capture this beastie?"

Drew looked to her son with calm, dark eyes.

"Of course. The Best of Gévaudan is a very troublesome cryptid. It's going to be safer for people that it be caged." She answered. Zak looked floored.

"We gonna keep it as a pet?!" He hopped up and down in excitement. To his surprise, he got a swat to the back of the head from Fisk.

The gorilla-cat glared at his younger "brother".

"No! Me, Zon, Komur!" He garbled, pointing to himself, Zon and Komodo. Gesturing wildly, the Fiskerton Phantom continued. "Yurol fissst!"

"Fisk's right, Zak." Drew stated as her son rubbed the spot on his head where he was hit. "The Beast of Gévaudan is no cryptid you'd like roaming our home. This creature would sooner kill and partially eat you than play ball like Fisk or Komodo."

Zak rolled his eyes.

"Then are we gonna send it somewhere? Like maybe to Dr. Henry Cheveyo or Dr. Miranda Grey or even Cheechoo?" The eleven-year-old cocked his head before he smiled. "If we could keep it here and you and dad study it, that would be _awesome_!"

"Take it from your mother, Zak." Doyle walked down the stairs to his sister, nephew and cryptids. "This Gévaudan Beast is better off dead."

The boy gasped and looked at his mother. Drew's face looked grim.

"What?! We've never believed in… _destroying_ a cryptid!" Zak threw his arms in the air. He looked to his uncle; he shared the same look on his mother's face.

"Zak. We really have no choice in this." Doc spoke up, activating the autopilot, unbuckling his seatbelt and walking over to his family. "The Beast of Gévaudan is a man-eater and man-slaughterer. Something this dangerous, regardless if it is a cryptid, must be destroyed."

Zak's brain was searching for answers.

"Well-! Just let me use my powers on it! Maybe there's a reason it enjoys…" The eleven-year-old shuttered. "The taste of human flesh."

Drew folded her arms.

"You are not allowed within fifty yards of this cryptid! It's FAR too dangerous for my babies to get too close!" The woman used a firm, resolute tone. "Am I clear?!"

Fisk immediately nodded as Zak hesitated.

"Zak!" Both Doc and Drew barked. The eleven-year-old didn't nod.

"But I can't use my powers fifty yards away!" The boy returned. His parents, uncle and best friend folded their arms at him.

"You can "talk" to it as soon as we get it on the zeppelin, secure it behind five feet of glass and muzzle it." Drew returned. "But as long as we are hunting it down, you are not to get near it! CLEAR?!"

Zak flinched at his mother's tone.

"Yes, ma'am!" The eleven-year-old saluted. Drew, Doc, Doyle and Fisk nodded.

"Good. I don't want my one and only nephew becoming cryptid chow." Doyle voiced, his frown nearly masking his genuine concern for Zak. As the adults and cryptids went walking to the belly of the ship, Zak stood there in a silence.

Destroying a cryptid? Unheard of! There had to be some reason why this creature was killing people. Just like the superheated lizard cryptid that seemingly terrorized a Peruvian town just because it had to shed its itchy and unbearably uncomfortable skin. Maybe the Beast of Gévaudan had a reason for hating humans so badly. There was only one way to find out and that would happen as soon as they landed in France.

When the Saturday family came to Lozére, France, the weather was slightly chilly but bearable with a light jacket. For Zon and Komodo, who were cold-blooded, they weren't looking forward to a cold climate.

Zak, Fisk, Zon and Komodo had their faces pressed against the glass of the zeppelin's windows, checking out the scenery of rural France. The trees were just turning fall colors as the seasons were beginning to change. Hills and pastures were between high mountains filled with thick forests of broad-leafed trees. It was perfect for hiding a monster.

Without much of a fuss the Saturday zeppelin landed in a field straddling a grove of trees that bled into a dense forest. The huge blimp towered over the small farm houses and town nearby. The zeppelin landed with its engines purring to a stop and stabilizer hooks were shot out from cannons into the dirt to keep the blimp from tipping over if a strong wind came.

A walkway from the zeppelin eased to the ground. Doyle, Doc and Drew were the first to walk out of the zeppelin, GPS, tracker tech and weapons in hand. As their devices swept the immediate area, they merely found the life signals of themselves, their cryptids, the farms, farm animals and people inside the town. Local animals such as deer, rabbits, birds and foxes also showed up on radar. Drew sighed in both frustration and relief.

"I don't have a reading on our cryptid monster." The woman voiced, taking her dark eyes from her device and scanning the open field and dense grove of trees. The forest was so dark that Drew felt her spine tingle with fear.

Anything, of any size or ferocity, could hide in there.

"You see how easy the beast could come and go without getting caught?" Doc was the first to step into the tall grass. "We have open fields filled with humans and thick forests closely nearby that it could vanish into."

Doyle walked to his brother-in-law's side.

"Yeah, but we have something that those poor suckers back in 1764 didn't have." The red head's normally cocky face was straight with seriousness. "Full knowledge of what this Gévaudan Beast is and technology. We'll find and bag this cryptid before it strikes again."

Flipping his mask over his face, Doyle activated his jetpack and soared above the treetops, scanning equipment in hand. Doc and Drew watched him go as they walked back up the walkway to their zeppelin.

As the walkway withdrew and the Saturdays disappeared, they had no idea that they were being watched.

From across the small valley Leonidas Van Rook was watching the Saturday zeppelin with a pair of high-powered binoculars. The ruthless, money-hungry cryptozoologist dropped his binoculars and gave a stiff chuckle.

"Always predictable, Saturdays." The man smiled in a thick Russian accent as he placed his binoculars into his pocket pouch. Perched on a rooftop of one of the town's buildings, Van Rook had a clear lookout over the fields, forest, mountains and zeppelin.

Van Rook was too looking for the Beast of Gévaudan. The killer cryptid meant a whole lot to V.V. Argost and the twisted genius promised Van Rook a handsome sum of cash if he found and caught it. Luckily for the mercenary cryptozoologist, the goodie-goodie Saturday team would do most of the work for him. All he had to do was wait for the beast to show up; Van Rook knew such a fantastic monster couldn't resist bait like the Saturday family. They had a small child and a woman; the main victims of the beast.

Just then Van Rook saw his ex-apprentice fly from the zeppelin on the jetpack that HE designed. Clenching his teeth tightly together, Van Rook felt his trigger finger itch. He always knew Doyle was too good at what he did but he never saw the soft spot the young man had for the Saturday's child until it was too late. By the time he realized his apprentice's treachery, he'd already met with Drew Saturday and stole Argot's portion of the Kur Stone. Watching the red head fly across part of the forest, Van Rook swore revenge. He'd take sick delight in yanking his jetpack off of Doyle's shoulders… from two miles above the ground.

Activating his jetpack, Van Rook made a quiet and stealthy retreat to his base camp, not too far from the village and the beast's playground.

A short two-minuet flight at normal speed let Van Rook back to his base, about two miles into the deep French forest of the Margeride Mountains. Dropping out of flight, the mercenary's feet touched the camp ground and he walked to a large, gaudy tent in the center of the area. Sweeping the curtain-door out of his way, Van Rook stepped into a warm, climate controlled tent; fit for a king. Dimly lit, Van Rook stood there as he let his eyes grow adjusted to the poor lighting.

"What is it Van Rook?" An eerie, ghostly voice barked at the mercenary from the center of the room. Van Rook recognized it as his employer's. "You barge in unannounced and interrupted my silence."

Then there was a creepy chuckle.

"I could have been indecent." The voice added. The only thing decent about V. V. Argost was his paycheck.

Van Rook shook the image of an "indecent" Argost out of his mind and looked to his chalk-faced employer.

"The Saturdays have landed, just as you predicted." The merc stated, his thick accent resounding through the once quiet tent. From Van Rook's tone, he was annoyed. "That throws a wrench into your little scheme, doesn't it, Argost?"

V. V. Argost stood from his chair, setting down his cup of tea. The man's face was as white as bleached bones, his smile was as unwelcoming as the grave and his ghostly voice brought his appearance together. Like a coiled snake, Argost's hunched posture made him look as if he was always ready to strike. The man curled his hands under his Megatooth-shark-skin cape, making Van Rook's eyes narrow. Argost hid a wealth of deadly… things inside that cape and the merc never liked to be at the receiving end of a surprise.

"Van Rook. You worry too much." Argost stated, giving a sinister chuckle. "Everything is going according to my plan. The Saturdays are here and they will lure the beast out. In the meantime, you are to do as I have instructed. I want you to fight for the Gévaudan Beast with a passion unlike crazy. If I know _anything_ about those pinheaded Saturdays its if I want it, they want it more."

Van Rook scowled under his mask.

"I still do not approve of your plan, Argost." The merc growled. "I fight to take the beast but I do not capture it. On the contrary, I am to let the Saturdays take it! Why are we even here?!"

Argost chuckled and drifted back to his seat.

"Because the Saturdays do not know what I know about la bête du Gévaudan." He answered. "Let them take it and by the time they realize what it can do, we shall strike."

That posted the obvious question.

"What is so special about some stupid cryptid?" Van Rook folded his arms. V.V. Argost gave the merc a smile of pure evil.

"What normally motivates me, Van Rook?" The pasty-faced villain questioned. Then he slammed a fist on the armrest of his chair. "The ultimate power of the Kur Stone! Le gardien de la pierre secrète et la pierre secrète du gardien. The Beast of Gévaudan is a vital key in translating Kur and I will NOT let this slip through my fingers!"

Van Rook kept his outward composure but he felt shivers ice up his spine at the mention of the Beast of Gévaudan and the cryptid Kur Stone in the same sentence.

"Whatever you chalk-faced madman." The merc turned to the tent's door. "I am still getting paid."

Argost said nothing in return, simply smiling as Van Rook left his tent.

Van Rook shook his head, eyes still turned back as he left. Whatever job he did, the money kept him motivated, but in close proximity to Argost's creepy figure made him want to rent a room in the nearby French village. By that time he nearly smacked into Munya, V.V. Argost's equally creepy manservant.

"Watch it arachnid!" Van Rook barked, sidestepping the bigger, Frankenstein-looking man. The mysterious man had been injected with the DNA of a Papuan Giant Spider and could transform himself into a half-man-half-spider monster with merely a thought.

Van Rook noted the basket of bread and meat in Munya's hands. He probably purchased that from a trip to the small French town. Gruffly walking to his tent, Van Rook went to assemble his weaponry. He was to put on a convincing charade that he wanted the Gévaudan Beast but let the Saturdays take it. That kinda stuff wasn't his style and he only hoped he could pull if off. A win was a win and a loss was a loss, but an intentional loss was so foreign to the seasoned merc. Irritated and creeped out, Van Rook disappeared into his tent.

But even further from the valley, at the top of one of the tallest hills was a pair of red and yellow eyes. The scent of new invaders danced on the wind and reached the animal's nose. What it smelled wet its palate. The smell of men, a woman and child and cryptids made the creature's muscles twitch to run toward the peculiar looking flying contraption. All humans were threats to the animal's powerful secret and invaders must be silenced.

The Beast of Gévaudan bared its long, sharp teeth and let out a deep gnarl. Lifting its nose to the sky, the beast emptied its lungs of air. A menacing howl covered the valley and seeded fear in the people's hearts. Fear… was for prey.

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R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!


	3. Man Eater From 1764

Oyhayo everyone! CJzilla here with another update! In this chapter Zak, Fisk, Komodo and Zon are left alone. Van Rook pays a visit but his would-be kidnapping of Zak turns into a fight against the Beast of Gévaudan. Enjoy.

As I wreck this city with my radioactive breath, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R... Love... Hate... Review.

_Noh-Varr Amadeus Cho: Thanks for reading, reviewing and putting me on one of your favs. It's an honor._

_Cold-heart-Angel23: Thanks for reading and reviewing. In this chapter the Beast will show itself. Enjoy._

_Amaris Solbes de la Vega: VEGA! Oye como va?! Long time no see. Thanks for reading and reviewing! So the Secret Saturday's on of your favs? Cool. I'll do my best. And as far as my TDI fic... It's on hiatus for a little bit... I hope._

_ArtimisHowl: Doyle's now apart of the Saturday's lives. To make a legit Secret Saturday fic, he had to be in it! Thanks for R&Ring._

_Shinigami911: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Here's another chapter!_

_Super Poof: Now you know why I rated this fic "T". Reading up on the beast kinda opens your eyes to what it really was. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

_she-bang-fan: Yep. Here's an update! Rock on Doyle... rock on._

_Hiezen Uchiha: I've never had such a warm welcome to a new archive before! Wow. Thanks Hiezen. I've read your fic and it's very good. Write on, right on. Thanks for reading and reviewing._

_anon: Though you didn't sign a name, thanks for reading and reviewing!_

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Chapter 3

_Man-Eater From 1764_

Zak sat by the windows of the super-zeppelin, bored out of his mind. Fisk was twiddling his thumbs as Zon pecked her wings and Komodo lounged in a ray of sunlight beaming through one of the windows. Mom and dad had come back into the airship without as much as a sighting. Zak wished he could have gone with Uncle Doyle; about a quarter mile above the ground, the beast couldn't get to him there. But no. He had to stay HERE where it was "safe". Not even the other cryptids were allowed out of the zeppelin, which in hindsight was probably a good thing.

Zak didn't want Fisk or Zon being chased by an angry mob with pitchforks and torches. The French town about five miles from where they landed looked like somewhere Dracula or Frankenstein would terrorize. Isolate and sorta primitive Lozére looked like running water and working bathrooms were sparse.

Zak sighed. Suddenly the door to the control room opened and in walked his mother. Zak turned in his chair and gave his mother a bored glare. Drew gave him a small smile and presented a huge manila file to him.

"Here. Something to keep you busy." She stated. Zak took it with his eyebrow high in the air.

Zon and Fisk looked over his shoulder at file. Being eleven-years old, the boy would rather ask what it was than open the file to find out.

"What is it mom?" Zak asked. Drew sighed, moved passed Zon's big bill and opened the folder.

"It's all the information of the Beast of Gévaudan. Folklore and fact, eye-witness accounts and testimony. It even includes the supposed death of the creatures!" Drew was enthusiastic about the contents of the folder but Zak made a face.

Zak passed the folder back at Fisk, who took it with a big "Ooooo". Zon narrowed her eyes and then snatched the folder out of the gorilla-cat's hands and took off with it. As Fisk and Zon had a "mature" moment, running around like three-year-olds, the eleven-year-old glared at his mother.

"Mom. There is nothing to do here." Zak folded his arms and sunk deeper into his chair. "I bet the local kids churn butter for fun."

Drew got irritated at that.

"No. The local kids are in hiding because the Beast of Gévaudan preys on children and women, which you would know if you read a little research." She tapped her foot. Zak sighed.

"Well, I'm not desperate enough to do homework. I don't want to spend this mission inside while you, dad and Uncle Doyle hunt for Beast of Gévaudan!" The eleven-year-old returned, moping as Zon and Fisk fought for the folder.

Drew's face softened as she kneeled beside her son's chair.

"I know, sweetie." She ran her fingers through her boy's wild black and white hair. She cupped his tiny chin and made him look at her. "But you're too precious to this family. None of us: your father, me, Doyle, Fisk, Zon and even Komodo never want to see you put in harm's way."

"But I want to be out there with you! It's the way we've _always_ done missions!" Zak pointed out, leaning forward and resting his head on his arms. The eleven-year-old puffed out a sigh. "I feel left out."

Fisk was in a tug-of-war with Zon but as soon as he heard his best friend's melancholy words, the seven-foot-tall gorilla-cat let the female Ornithocheirous have the folder. Bounding up to Zak, Fisk put a big, soft hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Dwit." The tall, furry cryptid patted the eleven-year-old's back, reassuring him that he wasn't left out. Zak grinned at his friend as his mother smiled.

"You're not left out at all, Zak." Drew voiced, cocking her head with her son's. "We plan on capturing this thing and when we do, you can use your powers on the Beast of Gévaudan. All right?"

The eleven-year-old nodded.

"Just make sure you catch it before I get too bored." He stated. Drew nodded.

"You know it." She kissed her son's cheek and ran her fingers through Fisk's fur. As Fisk blushed, Drew stood. "Your father and I are waiting for Doyle to come back with the results of his aerial sweep. If that doesn't give us any results, we're going to the village and ask a few questions. We should have the cryptid bagged before nightfall."

With that Drew left the room. Zak watched his mom leave and at that same second, his uncle passed the window, his jetpack slowing his fall. The eleven-year-old had a funny feeling that Uncle Doyle found nothing. Getting up from his chair, Zak walked over to the window. Uncle Doyle was talking to dad and shaking his head.

Translation: No sign of the beast. A.K.A.: This is gonna take a lot longer than Zak thought. He turned to Fisk.

"Well, buddy, we might as well get comfortable because it looks like it's gonna be a boring day." The eleven-year-old walked back to his chair and plopped back down into it. Fiskfollowed his best friend and sat next to him on the floor.

Sighing in unison both boy and cryptid festered in the silence, sure that boredom would be the death of them. Just then Doc poked his head into the control room.

"Zak! Doyle, your mother and I are going into the village to ask some questions and log some data!" The man called into the room. Fisk and Zak lipped the rest, knowing what was coming. "You are not to leave the blimp! Lock the doors, keep an eye on the readings and stay away from sugar. If there are any problems hit the emergency siren. Love you and we'll be back."

The door "shnnk"ed shut and Doc was gone. Zak and Fisk sighed in unison again, just looking out the window at the quiet French countryside.

"Death by boredom… it's an ancient medieval torture." The eleven-year-old stated resting his cheek on his fist. Zak was missing his beloved entertainment system that he had to leave behind.

The gorilla-cat nodded and put his hands behind his head.

"Forsuregur." Fisk plopped on his back and closed his eyes. The tall, furry cryptid's mouth fell straight as he began to relax.

He didn't realize that Zon was standing over him and getting ready to annoy him some more.

From the outside of the zeppelin, Drew and Doc jumped on their hover disks as Doyle took to the air on his jetpack. The three adults sped for town to ask about the Gévaudan Beast sightings since the first attack. As they did, a figure in a mask crouched on a large tree bough in the nearby forest. Through his binoculars Van Rook watched archenemies move away from their beloved zeppelin. They had left without the boy.

Moving his gaze and binoculars Van Rook looked through the large bay windows of the zeppelin. He saw the pre-teen trying to quell a disagreement between the Fiskerton Phantom and that exotic Ornithocheirous. He then looked to the komodo dragon with chameleon-like abilities. The huge lizard was feeling the cold in the weather because it was just sunning itself.

Van Rook chuckled to himself as he took the binoculars from his face. They were all alone and unsupervised. Perfect for an attack that they'd never see coming.

As soon as Van Rook was confident the adults were far enough away from the zeppelin, he jumped out of the tree, activated his jetpack and flew low to the ground. He had his crosshairs set on the zeppelin and Zak Saturday. But he first had to hack his way through the security system.

Zak wiped his brow as he walked back into the control room, Claw in hand. Fiskerton was in the rafters of the ceiling, folded up and looking ruffled from a fight. The eleven-year-old walked into the center of the control room, he looked up towards the ceiling.

"Zon's gone, Fisk! She's in the supply closet with a bucket of fish! You can come down now!" Zak called up to his best friend. Fisk sighed, hung from a rafter by his hand before gracefully flipping to the floor.

"Fisomur!" The Fiskerton Phantom's soft off-white fur was a mess from Zon's unusual fascination with him today. The female Ornithocheirous went out of her way to annoy and nibble on him and Fisk had had enough of it.

"You got a little Ornithocheirous spit on your ears." Zack motioned to Fisk's head.

The gorilla-cat grumbled and passed his hand through his hair, trying to straighten his fur.

"Dude, I don't know what's wrong with Zon today. I know that cold weather makes cold-blooded lizards irritated-" He looked over at Komodo who hadn't moved from the sun-lit window since they landed. "But Zon's gone berserk! Did you take a bath in a vat of fish-essence or something?"

"Rasf!" Fisk shook his head before licking his hand and running over his ears. "Murwiki?"

Zak nodded.

"True, you never do take baths." The boy shrugged then took a seat, the Claw in his hand. "But in hindsight, if your Fiskerton stank is going to make Zon nuts, then I recommend that you bathe."

Fisk frowned and gave his fur a shake.

"No." He grumbled before crouching beside his best friend and folding his arms indignantly. The gorilla-cat was not miserable enough to bathe. "Zon cairmu cissbur."

Zak roared with laughter and he fell out of his chair, much to the embarrassment of Fiskerton. The seven-foot-tall gorilla cat was blushing.

""It's not so bad"?!" The eleven-year-old held his sides as he looked up at his friend. "Zon nearly mauled you! And you're saying "It's not so bad"?! Dude? You LIKE being nearly mauled?"

Fisk turned up his nose.

"Chimur sooma." He glared off. Zak sat up.

"Uh, no; I don't know what you mean." The boy returned. Fisk frowned at him and said nothing in return.

Grunting, the seven-foot-tall gorilla cat stood and was about to walk toward the door. Then his red eyes caught a silent, crouched human figure in the shadows of the doorway. Doc, Drew and Doyle couldn't have been back yet, and WHY would one of them crouch in the doorway? Then Fisk heard a gun cock.

"MISMUR!" The gorilla-cat choked out as something in the attacker's hands exploded. A second later a huge, strong net wrapped around the Fiskerton Phantom.

The force of the net sent Fisk flying into one of the control room's consuls before he fell to the floor, bound motionless. The zeppelin shook with the impact. Zak was instantly on his feet, his eyes on his best friend.

"Fisk!" The gorilla-cat wriggled in the strong net, unable to break it. The preteen ran over to his friend when he heard bulky running footfalls on the metal floor.

With scarcely a moment to look up he heard Komodo give an angry/startled growl. Then someone grabbed Zak by the back of his shirt. With his back to his attacker, the boy only saw a beefy arm extend over his shoulder and shoot something toward Komodo. A tiny capsule bounced to the komodo dragon's feet before it exploded into very sticky goo. Komodo was stuck and could only growl in resentment. By that time Zak knew who his attacker was.

"Uh! Van Rook!" The boy hissed. Zak still had the Claw in his hand and he gripped it.

Van Rook seized the Claw and as it was still in Zak's hands, held it point blank at the boy's throat.

"Let's point your little cereal box toy somewhere else." The merc's heavy accented voice sang through the suddenly silent room. Zak squirmed but dared not use the Claw, since its razor sharp three-fingered claw attached to the tether was on his neck.

The boy gave the man a firm kick to his shin. Grunting in discomfort, Van Rook held the boy tighter against his chest.

"A joy to see you again too, you little boil." The cryptozoologist mercenary growled at Zak. With that he turned and began walking toward the door.

"Fisk! Call mom, dad and Uncle Doyle!" Zak called out. At the boy's plea to his flea-bitten cryptid, Van Rook chuckled.

"You'll be long gone before your parents find out you're missing." The man stated as the door opened. Zak writhed and grunted in frustration.

The door shut.

"Chumos!" Fisk gasped, squirming in the net. He couldn't move and neither could Komodo; Zon was in the supply closet, so she couldn't help either.

Then the gorilla-cat looked up and saw he was right underneath the consul that had the distress alarm on it. With a Fiskerton Phantom-enhanced push, his long arm poked through the net. Swinging his arm up to the consul, Fisk floundered around for the big red button that would call Drew, Doyle and Doc back to the airship.

Van Rook was casually walking through the halls of his enemies' zeppelin, eleven-year-old Zak Saturday held in his arms. The boy wasn't going to leave without a fuss. Kicking and squirming, regardless at his Claw weapon was pointed at his throat, Zak let Van Rook know he wasn't happy.

"You are the _KING_ of cheap-shots, Van Rook!" The boy snarled. The merc rolled his eyes under his mask.

"Quiet." He commanded. Zak barely listened to his parents; Van Rook was no exception.

"You yellow-bellied _worm_! You kidnap me while my parents and uncle are gone!" The boy carried on, kicking the man in the leg. The merc was halfway thankful for his leg-armor. "And I bet you're after the beast, aren't you?!"

Van Rook chuckled.

"If you mean the Beast of Gévaudan, yes." He returned, walking down the second to last hallway to the exit. "V.V. Argost promised me a nice chunk of money if I capture it. And you are going to help me."

Zak scoffed.

"To _heck_ if you think I'm going to use my cryptid powers to help YOU!" The feisty eleven-year-old barked back. Van Rook gave a chuckle that iced up Zak's spine.

"I don't need your trivial cryptid powers, you little toad." Van Rook responded. "The Beast of Gévaudan has a taste for children and since you were here and I all ready hate you, I couldn't have picked a better piece of _bait_."

The eleven-year-old gulped as he saw the walkway in the down-position and the grassy field. He had to get away or be Gévaudan Beast food! Lifting up his leg to as high as he could get it, Zak drove the back of his sneaker to Van Rook's leg. With a stroke of luck, his heel of his shoe hit the man between the joints of his armor, making sweet contact with his knee. The merc growled in pain and his grip loosened on the Claw. Zak took the three-fingered claw from his throat. With a thought, he shot it to the man's face, confident that Van Rook's mask would protect his head. But the merc saw the blow coming and juked his head to the side.

The Claw shot over the man's shoulder, bounced off the ceiling, walls and finally to the floor. The wayward weapon hit Van Rook's ankles and made him tumble to the floor. With Zak still in his arms, the merc fell down the ramp and out onto the grassy field. By that time he had let go of the boy and came to a stop on his back.

Zak shook the stars from his head as he found himself face-down in the grass. Getting to his knees and spitting out a chunk of grass, he saw the Claw rewinding itself. Turning to Van Rook, he saw the angry mercenary sit up and glare at him. He went to get to his knees but the knee that Zak had kick cried out in pain.

"I hate you, little Saturday boy." Van Rook hissed. The eleven-year-old boy snapped the Claw at the man.

"The feeling's mutual, Van Rook!" Zak fired back, dipping the Claw to the side as it rewound totally. Van Rook growled and started to stand, but the mercenary had his back to the forest and didn't see the Beast of Gévaudan zip out from the trees.

"When I get my hands on you, I'll string you up by your feet, slather you in barbecue sauce and let the Beast of Gévaudan chew on you before I capture it!" Van Rook fumed, chocking his wrist net-launcher at the Saturday boy.

Zak just stood there, glaring at him before movement behind the merc caught his attention. It was a HUGE dog looking creature with reddish fur, running full gallop at Van Rook.

Zak saw the monstrous dog creature run across the field, its sinister red and yellow eyes fixed on Van Rook. The boy couldn't form a word to warn the man, since the animal was speeding toward him at an alarming rate. The eleven-year-old boy's face fell to horror as a loud gasp escaped his mouth. Van Rook saw the look on the boy's face but before he could process what was going on, a gnarl that froze his heart sounded through his ears.

In that instant, Van Rook's head was in the jaws of a creature that was nothing short of a monster.

The event happened as fast as lightning. The creature jumped forward, maw open and long, formidable teeth poised to kill. The dog monster's jaws clamped down on the man's head. Instantly it took Van Rook to the ground.

Face down in the grass, the merc felt an incredible pressure to his head before teeth sunk into his scalp. Van Rook made no sound, he himself too stunned to form a noise as the creature shook him violently.

Zak was scared stiff as he could only watch the ruthless mercenary become a rag-doll in the monster's jaws.

The dog creature dropped Van Rook before flipping the dazed and injured man over. The man opened his eyes from behind his mask to look into the terrifyingly animalistic red and yellow eyes of the Beast of Gévaudan. Realizing that he was truly being attacked and possibly staring death in the face, the cryptozoologist's mind screamed out for his knife. But with not even a chance to draw the blade in his thigh pocket, the beast's mouth came down over Van Rook's face. He screamed as the monster animal shook him like a rag.

Van Rook's scream finally brought Zak out of his stupor. The boy knew that if he didn't do something to stop this monster from attacking Van Rook, he knew the merc was as good as dead.

"HEY!" The eleven-year-old boy shouted at the creature, drawing his Claw. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

The boy aimed the weapon and fired. The three-fingered claw shot toward the monster and made contact with its eye. The razor-sharp claws squeezed over the dog-like animal's eye. The beast yelped in pain and dropped Van Rook as it reared. Bringing a huge paw to its face, it clawed at the painful weapon over its eye. It danced and reared, trying to dislodge the Claw from its sensitive eye. Zak saw the monster's incredible discomfort and if it chose to run to the forest, it'd take him with it! With a small flick of his wrist, the Claw released the monster's eye and rewound to the tether.

The creature shook its head and blinked the pain out of its eye. The monster then snarled and turned its horrible eyes back to the small boy that dared to defy it!

Zak watched as the hair on the back of the dog-wolf animal's neck stand rigid with seething anger. Its heart-stopping red and yellow eyes fixed on him and the boy saw three cuts on the creature's left eye, courtesy of his Claw. Now its pearly white teeth were fully exposed as its lips curled in a fuming growl. The eleven-year-old took a step back, his eyes wide with fear. The beast matched his backwards step with a forward stalk.

"Y-y-you don't want to hurt me!" Zak spoke, unknowingly activating his cryptid powers. As the boys shone with yellow energy, so did his Claw which focused his powers.

In an instant the Beast of Gévaudan's eyes shone with the same yellow energy and it froze in its steps.

"You don't want to hurt me." Zak repeated seeing that his powers had an effect on the monster. The beast relaxed, its fur falling back onto its natural position as its lips moved back down over its teeth. "I don't want you to hurt anyone else, ever again!"

As those words left his mouth and the creature's eyes relaxed onto his, Zak heard a whisper in the animal's mind.

_The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian._

It was faint but recognizable.

"Wait… what?" The boy blinked at the beast. The animal stared at him, speaking again in an incoherriant voice.

In that moment, inside the zeppelin, Fiskerton had found the red alarm button. Pushing it with all his might, the bound gorilla-cat alerted his family of the danger.

Outside in the field, the emergency siren, making Zak jump and his hold on the creature break. As the alarm wailed, the boy watched as the Beast of Gévaudan revert back to being a savage animal. The creature shook its head and began cowering at the sound of the loud sirens. The large wolf-like animal laid its ears flat against its head and growled in fear. Zak stood there, watching the creature. Though the beast snarled and seethed, it continued to retreat toward the trees. With one last glare at Zak, the beast turned and sprinted off toward the woods.

"Wait!" The boy ran after it. "Wait! Come back!"

He tried to use his powers to summon and calm the beast but it all ready disappeared into the woods. Zak stood there in a daze, not sure what to make of a blood-thirsty beast that formed coherent words that he could understand! Just then he heard Van Rook groan. Turning, the boy saw the half-chewed merc sit up, his metal mask bent from the power of the beast's jaws.

"Van Rook!" Zak zipped over to the man, knowing he HAD to be hurt. "Are you all right?!"

The man was in too much pain to respond to that stupid question.

Meanwhile, inside the small town, Drew, Doyle and Doc were questioning a man named Antoine Saverelle, a farmer who claimed to see the Gévaudan Beast first. His story was wild, crazy in fact; Antoine stated that while he was cutting grass in his pasture, a stone was wedged between his blades and from that red stone, came the Beast of Gévaudan. It was farfetched and nothing short of fantasy but it was the only lead they had all day.

"Doyle, ask Mr. Saverelle if he got into any liquor before his encounter with the Wolf of Chazes." Doc rolled his eyes, not believing this man one bit. Drew cut in before Doyle could recite Doc's comment in French.

"Hang on, Doyle!" The woman held up her hand and turned to her husband. "Doc! You're being very unprofessional! I believe Mr. Saverelle!"

The older man with a streak of white hair sighed.

"Who ever heard of a cryptid, much less the Beast of Gévaudan popping out of a stone? It's ridiculous!" Doc threw his hands in the air. Drew gave her husband a "look".

"Well, it's the only lead we've had. Let's pay this man SOME respect since he is already being ridiculed as the "bringer of the beast" throughout his village." Drew tapped her foot and folded her arms across her curvy chest.

Doyle agreed with his sister.

"Yeah, _Solomon_." The troublemaking red head jeered to his brother-in-law. "Mr. Saverelle is the only one who will TALK about the Beast of Gévaudan. Let's give him a cha-"

And just then, the alarm sirens from the zeppelin reached their ears. Gasping both Doc and Drew spun to the airship.

"It's the airship!" Doc spat out before he sprinted to his hover disk.

"My boys!" Drew hopped on her disk and both parents roared off toward their son and cryptids. Doyle rocketed off after his sister and brother-in-law, leaving behind one very bewildered Mr. Antoine Saverelle.

Doyle passed Drew and Doc and screamed as fast as he could toward the zeppelin, something in the back of his mind telling him something was very wrong with his nephew.

Zak saw that Van Rook's head was bleeding and that he was still stupid from getting tossed around like a rag-doll. The eleven-year-old felt his peanut-butter and jelly sandwich threaten to come up as he saw the fabric of the merc's mask turn red with his puncture wounds.

"You're bleeding." Was the only thing to pop out of Zak's mind. "Pretty bad."

Van Rook growled and brought a shaky hand to his head. Bringing his glove back to his face, he saw the vital juices smeared over the leather. By that time he finally recognized that the alarms were sounding. Van Rook knew he had to stand or else get busted by this boy's parents.

The mercenary rolled to his knees and paced himself to stand. Blinking past the vertigo and pain, Van Rook stood. Then he felt a hand on his arm.

"You're too messed up to stand!" He looked down and saw the wide eyes of the Saturday boy. Either the boy had a HUGE heart even for his enemies, or Van Rook was more injured than he thought. "Just-…! Just wait here! My parents are on their way and we've got a med-kit inside the blimp!"

Van Rook yanked his arm out of the boy's hands.

"I don't need your help!" He barked. Zak scoffed and smirked.

"You did when you were almost _beastie_ food!" The eleven-year-old threw his arms in the air. He grabbed Van Rook's arm again. "Now _shut up_ and get into the blimp before that monster comes back to finish what it started!"

With that Zak started to drag the man toward the zeppelin, intent on treating his injuries. Van Rook's feet were cemented where he stood, but that didn't mean he wasn't halfway touched at the compassion this little brat had.

Just then he heard the roar of a jetpack and Doyle's flying figure zipped around the blimp. Even from behind that mask, Van Rook knew the young man was shocked. Yanking Zak back into his arms Van Rook and Doyle had a stalemate.

"What are you doing?!" Zak squirmed, talking to Van Rook. "You don't have to do this!"

Van Rook ignored the boy and focused on his treacherous ex-apprentice. Doyle yanked off his mask and dropped it as he hovered nine feet off of the ground.

"_Drop_ him Van Rook or you'll regret it!" The red head seethed, boiling anger coming to his face as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of explosive pellets. Van Rook's savior once again came from an unlikely source.

"Uncle D!" Zak called up to Doyle. "Don't! Van Rook's hurt!"

Shock came to the red head's face.

"_What_?!" Doyle spat back. The wounded merc pulled Zak closer.

"You saved my life, boy. I'm not stupid enough to forget that." Van Rook whispered into Zak's ear. The merc then grabbed his shirt and seat of his pants and tossed Zak toward Doyle.

Both nephew and uncle hit with a hard thud as Doyle dropped out of the air. Activating his jetpack, Van Rook sped into the air just as Drew and Doc raced up to the zeppelin.

Doc and Drew nearly fell off their hover disks as they raced up to Doyle and Zak. Doc watched Van Rook fly into the air, back toward the down and he felt a scowl ripple onto his face.

"Zak! Zak!" Drew rushed up to Doyle and Zak, who lie in a heap on the ground. Taking her son off of her brother, the woman stood the eleven-year-old up.

"No that's all right!" Doyle groaned. "I'm all right. I was just hit by an eleven-year-old boy projectile."

Doc helped his brother-in-law to his feet.

"Zak! I thought I told you to stay in the airship!" Doc barked at his son. But then he saw the horror on Drew's face. "What? What's wrong?!"

Drew held up her hand, showing that it was covered in blood. Both Doyle and Doc zipped up to Zak.

"You hurt?!" Both rushed. Zak shook his head and pointed to the back of his shirt, where his back was near Van Rook's head.

"I _told_ you that Van Rook was hurt!" The eleven-year-old pointed at his uncle. The family craned their eyes upwards only to catch Van Rook's speeding form in the far, far distance.

"What did you do, Zak?" Drew was horrified. Did her _son_ do that to the mercenary?!

"Nothing! Van Rook busted into the blimp, incapacitated Fisk and Komodo and took me! When we got out here…" Zak's face paled. "The Beast of Gévaudan attacked. It went for Van Rook since his back was to it. I managed to get it off of him with my cryptid powers but not before Van Rook was messed up pretty good."

Doc looked to the woods and his instincts told him to rush his family inside.

"Get inside! Before that _thing_ comes back!" The man told his wife, son and brother-in-law. The family ran inside the blimp, hastily returned the ramp and shut the door.

From inside the forest, just beyond the sight of the child's parents, the Beast of Gévaudan's eyes were on the boy as he and his family disappeared inside their airship. After hundreds of years and decades more, the beast finally found the human that could understand its secret. The Gévaudan Beast would wait until the dust settled before contacting the child once more.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the valley Van Rook had made it back to V.V. Argost's camp before collapsing from his injuries. Attracted by the sudden "thunk" on the ground, Argost and Munya emerged from their tent. Seeing the unconscious and badly bleeding mercenary at his feet, Argost snorted.

"Munya, please tend to Mr. Van Rook's injuries." The pasty-faced villain gestured to his manservant. Then he sighed. "A shame that I did not see la bête du Gévaudan's infamous attack-style myself. And I'm sure Mr. Van Rook will want compensation for his injuries."

Waving his hand disinterestedly, Argost disappeared back into his tent leaving Munya to scoop up Van Rook. Walking back to the mercenary's tent, the still and silent Munya knew that Van Rook would need stitches… Lots and lots of stitches.

* * *

R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!


	4. Widowmaker

Ohayho everyone! CJzilla with another update! In this chapter Zak tells his family what he heard the beast "say". Doc is determined to put a stop to the creature's rampage, but little do the Saturday crew know that the rampage is going to come to their front door. Enjoy.

As I blow this city all to heck, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R... Love... Hate... Review.

_crystalshake: Thanks crystalshake. Here's another update._

_Super Poof: I had to pick up on the Gévaudan Beast's ferocity and its indiscriminant attack style. Van Rook was the first to get attacked because he had his back to the creature. You gotta love Fisk. That seven-foot-tall, googly-eyed freak of nature!_

_Robin: Thank you Robin; you're too kind. Here's another update that I hope will keep your face glued to your computer screen._

_Pirates VS Ninjas: First off, thank you for being polite about asking for a quick update. I have some other people on another archive DEMANDING I update. Kinda takes the fun out of everything. Now, to your guess whether Zak will go find the Beast of Gévaudan or the Beast of Gévaudan kidnapping Zak... Eh... It's a little of both. But you'll find out for sure in the next chapter._

_Amaris Solbes de la Vega: One phrase: Muchas gracias!_

_she-bang-fan: (CJzilla gasps and hugs her Van Rook plushie) Van Rook?! Dying?! No way! Even though he's got a creepy interest in Drew and nearly forced Russain accent, he doesn't deserve death! (CJzilla squeezes her Van Rook plushie until its head pops off)_

_ArtimisHowl: (CJzilla wipes brow) Good. I thought at least ONE other person should have had Doyle in their fic._

AN: And just a little tidbit from the last chapter: there actually existed a man named Antoine Saverelle who fought with a wolf similar to the ferocity of the Beast of Gévaudan. Crosscheck him or the "Wolf of Soissons" on wikipedia.

* * *

Chapter 4

_Widowmaker_

"It's mouth was big enough to _smash_ two watermelons!" Zak carried on, his dark eyes wide as he told his uncle, parents and cryptids about the Beast of Gévaudan. The entire Saturday family was in their airship's control room, keeping an eye on the wide-eyed eleven-year-old. "Van Rook's head would have easily been squished if it wasn't for his mask! And you guys should have seen how the beast shook him like a rag!"

Drew's face paled, thinking of her baby boy having to go through something like that. Doyle shivered.

"I don't like Van Rook… but as evil as he is, he didn't deserve that." The red-head stated, his face falling serious. Doc hummed in acknowledgement.

"The Beast of Gévaudan is even more aggressive than I thought. It attacked a man just because his back was turned." The super-genius voiced, looking over his family. "I don't want to even think about what would have happened if Zak wasn't such a quick witted thinker."

The eleven-year-old with wild white and black hair let out a flattered giggle as he kicked his feet.

"Aw! Thanks dad!" Zak beamed.

"He gets it from Drew's side." Doyle quipped at his brother-in-law. Though he got a tiny sneer from Doc, he had to agree.

"I bet he does. You must have missed that gene, huh Doyle?" The older black man with a white streak running through his raven hair smirked. Now it was Doyle's turned to sneer.

"Its increasing aggressiveness is just one more reason to destroy the Beast of Gévaudan!" Drew spoke up. "Cryptid or not, nothing this dangerous has a good reason to still exist. Zak and Van Rook were incredibly lucky. The next encounter we have with this monster, may be even more dangerous."

Then Zak stood from his seat.

"Wait a sec!" The eleven-year-old stood next to Fisk. He caught his parents' attention. "Just after I got it off of Van Rook, I got a chance to use my powers on it."

The room was silent as Zak recalled the Beast of Gévaudan's hazy and riddle-like words.

"It told me this: "the guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian"." The boy stated, face as straight as a pin. Everyone was stunned.

"Wait, wait…" Drew waved her hands before looking her son in the eye. "You mean to tell us that the Beast of Gévaudan has the ability to _talk_?!"

Zak shrugged.

"Well, kinda. It was not really speaking… I heard stuff that was more like whispers." The preteen answered. "But I heard it! "The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian"; that's what I heard."

Doc was sitting on the fence of belief and skepticism.

"Zak… Are you sure you weren't just hearing things? Maybe it was Van Rook or your panicked mind." The super-genius cryptozoologist questioned. "In all the accounts I've read on the Beast of Gévaudan, not once do they say that this monster can talk. It would sooner tear out YOUR voice box than speak."

That got Doc a scoff from both Doyle and Drew.

"Doc! Your son has cryptid speaking abilities! He knows what's going on in each creature's mind." Drew returned, her dark eyes sharpening at her husband. Doc nodded.

"I'm not discrediting Zak's abilities, Drew. But the Beast of Gévaudan doesn't seem like a cryptid that can produce coherent thought. From its history and what it's shown today… it's a monster." The super-genius replied. "There's nothing more to it than fangs, aggressiveness and an indiscriminate killer with a taste for human flesh."

The eleven-year-old's eyes fell to the floor.

"I know you don't believe it." Then Zak looked up at his family. "And yet I heard something else there… and it wasn't human."

"Not human?" Doyle asked, eyebrows high in the air.

"You know what I mean." Zak returned before his eyes glazed over with a weird, otherworldly look. "There is something… some diabolic… Something which is not… not at rest. I felt it, you know; in the beast's mind. There was a great feeling of defensiveness and an intense hatred for people… that couldn't be… slated."

His family was in a surprised and slightly creeped-out silence.

"Fisomursur." Fisk punched his unusually serious best friend in the shoulder. But when Zak's serious expression remained, the gorilla-cat's eyes went wide again.

"Drew, I want you sweep the entire valley with the airship's scanners then crosscheck every cryptid archive. Find out all you can about "the guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian"." Doc was the first to speak after a long pause. Then he turned to Doyle. "Doyle… you and I are going on a beast hunt."

Drew, Zak and Fisk gasped as Doyle nodded.

"Doc! You can't! The Beast of Gévaudan will rip you two to shreds!" The white-haired woman pleaded. The man sighed, looking at his wife through stony eyes.

"What choice do we have, Drew? We were called here to stop it and that's exactly what I intend to do." Then Doc turned to his family. "No one leaves the airship. Doyle and I will contact you when we need to be let back inside."

With that the two men turned to leave the room, but not before they got kisses from Drew and hugs from Zak and Fisk.

"Be careful." Drew hugged her husband before kissing him. Doc gave her a cocky smirk.

"Like always." Doc returned before Drew released him.

"I have to gas up my jetpack and restock my ammo before we head out, Doc." Even Doyle was kinda serious. The leader of the Saturday crew nodded.

"I have to get my Power Glove anyway." Doc returned. "I'll meet you outside."

Nodding, the family dissipated.

As the door shut, Drew clapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes drifted to the bay window. She looked over the French countryside and finally into the forest which was unusually dark and foreboding even in noonday sunlight. Then she felt a hand on her arm. Looking down she saw Zak.

"It'll be all right mom." The eleven-year-old beamed. "Uncle Doyle will take good care of dad."

Something told Drew that no one was safe but she put on a confident smile for her baby boy and cryptids.

"Of course he will." She ran her fingers through Zak's wild hair. "And your father isn't going to like it one bit."

Less than five minuets later, Doc was standing just a few paces away from the ramp of the airship. The tall black man had his eyes on the forest in front of him and the quarter of a mile of pasture between them. The trees were huge and knitted tightly together, casting shadows that made even a portion of the forest impossible to see through. Anything could be lurking in there. Doc's fist tightened inside his Power Glove. Even with his powerful weapon, he felt strangely vulnerable. Maybe because his family was in just the same amount of danger as he was.

Then he heard the breeze blow through the tall grass and up the ramp and into the airship. Looking back into the zeppelin, Doc was mentally scolding Doyle for taking his sweet time gassing up and getting armed. Sighing, the man frowned.

Turning his eyes back toward the forest Doc found himself in a terrifying situation. He was looking into the red and yellow eyes of the Beast of Gévaudan.

The monster dog-like cryptid bared its dagger-like teeth at him, its tail swaying in a slow, hypnotizing rhythm. Doc had only looked away for _half_ a second! How could an animal of this size move as fast as lightning without being heard?!

The man was too scared to cry out for help as his legs refused to move. The Beast of Gévaudan neared. It was instantly within striking range. Doc was motionless, his super-genius brain unable to think and his body unable to move. Then the beast lifted its lips and gave a snarl. Pink gums with snow white teeth glistened in the noonday sun's glow. But the noise from the Beast of Gévaudan's maw snapped Doc out of its trance.

Doc's hand shot to his Power Glove and his weapon roared to life. In that second the Beast of Gévaudan pounced. Its huge front paws lined with talon-like claws slammed on Doc's shoulders. The man was on the ground faster than he thought possible. The beast growled, globs of viscous saliva dripping from its open mouth and wetting his neck. Obviously, Doc had wet the animal's palate. He knew he had only one chance and one fraction of a second to pull it off before this beast left his family fatherless.

Doc cranked back his arm and busted his Power Glove into the beast's side. With a yelp, the Beast of Gévaudan was rocketed off of him and launched several yards away. The man scrambled to his feet and up the ramp as he saw the stunned beast paw the air. He caught a glimpse of it rolling to its feet just before he ducked into the airship. Slamming a hand over the button near the door, the ramp began to lift from the ground. Doc held his breath.

The huge metal ramp was half-way off of the ground and rapidly coming to a full seal. The hallway to the exit gradually darkened as the ramp withdrew from the outside world; only a four foot sliver of sunlight remained as it was just about completely closed. And just as Doc let out the breath he was holding, the Beast of Gévaudan jumped and dove through the small opening. The creature's large head and shoulders made it through but it came in on its side. Doc's mouth was on the floor.

The Beast of Gévaudan rushed to right itself before the door closed on its midsection. As the beast scrambled through, its back paw hit Doc in the side of the face and slammed his head into the metal wall, the ramp nearly shutting on its tail. The monster cryptid cuffed Doc so hard that he instantly knocked the man unconscious. Without a sound, the man's rag doll body fell to the floor.

The Beast of Gévaudan shook its fur as the door sealed shut behind it. Silence once again came to its ears as its red and yellow eyes combed the artificial darkness of the manmade contraption. It felt cold, smooth metal under its paws as several foreign scents filled its nose. Then it caught whiff of the boy.

Without giving the unconscious man at its feet a second look, the Beast of Gévaudan moved quietly through the metal hallways, bent on finding the child.

Meanwhile Zak and Fisk were busy playing a came of cards on the control room floor while Zon watched and Komodo was still sunning himself in the windows. Drew was reading over the archives of Doc's super computer and so far the woman had no luck finding anything to do with "the guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian". Drew looked to her son who was playing cards with the Fiskerton Phantom.

"Mimur?" Fisk questioned. Zak shook his head.

"Nope. Go fish." Growling in frustration, the seven-foot-tall gorilla cat drew another card with his foot and set it in his hand.

Did Zak hear what he thought he heard or was Doc right about him hearing Van Rook mumble something? Her husband's reasonings were starting to sink in. Being born into a family of gypsies before raised by Tibetan monks, Drew automatically believed everything she heard, no matter how nutty it may sound to someone else. But she kinda had to agree with Doc on this one. The Beast of Gévaudan was too animalistic to have legitimate thought. Everyone knew that killing was the only thing on this monster's mind.

Then a communication crackled onto the audio speakers.

"Hey Drew?" It was Doyle. Drew picked up the message.

"Yes, Doyle?" There was a pause and her readings indicated that both Doyle and Doc were still inside the airship.

"Didn't your killjoy husband say that he was going to wait for me outside?" The red-head asked. Drew stifled a chuckle.

"Yes, yes he did. But the radar says he's at the end of the hall… right in front of you. Don't you see him?" She returned rolling her eyes at her brother's stupidity. Doyle silenced for a second.

"No… No I don't-. Wait." His tone suddenly went serious as a dead quiet filled his earpiece. Drew watched her readings and saw Doyle's signal speed toward Doc's. "Drew! Drew, get to the bay doors quick! Doc's unconscious! And he's covered in… some nasty smelling funk!"

At hearing that, Zak and Fisk were on their feet, cards going in every direction.

"I'm on my way!" Drew ran to the door but not before looking back at Zak. "Stay here and watch the radar!"

Without room for objection, she ran out the door, accidentally leaving it open. Zak, Fisk, Zon and Komodo watched her run. They were worried but did as they were told. Moving over to the nearest consul, the Fiskerton Phantom and eleven-year-old boy had their eyes on the radar.

When Drew got to Doyle and Doc she saw her brother crouching over her husband. It looked like Doc had just collapsed but as she neared she saw that his Power Glove was activated and that his face, neck and part of his shirt was covered in a smelly fluid.

"What happened Doyle?!" Drew barked. The red head shrugged.

"I dunno! This is how I found him!" Doyle returned as his sister crouched at her unconscious husband's side.

"Doc? Doc, baby? Can you hear me?" Drew patted her husband's cheek. Doc's face twisted as he came back to consciousness. "Doc! Thank goodness! What-?"

"It's inside!" Doc garbled, sitting up so fast he nearly hit heads with his wife and brother-in-law. "It's INSIDE the airship!"

Drew put her hands on her husband's shoulders as Doyle got to his feet.

"What? What's inside the airship?" Drew questioned. Her eyes widened when Doc's face went white as a sheet.

"The Beast of Gévaudan!" Doc staggered to his feet, reeling before both Drew and Doyle caught him. "It ambushed me from outside and when I got away, I shut the door! But it got _in_!"

Doyle and Drew were speechless before reality roared back to life.

"Zak!" They gasped. Doc slammed his hand over the button to drop the ramp.

As the ramp eased to the ground, the adults flew down the corridors to get to Zak before the Beast of Gévaudan did.

Fisk and Zak hadn't taken their eyes off of the radar. The eleven-year-old was getting pretty concerned about his father but he was also very confused. His dad NEVER collapsed and in a weird place too. At the bay doors? And what did Uncle Doyle say about some nasty smelling funk?

"You think Uncle D was exaggerating?" Zak asked Fisk. "I mean… what if dad was just tying his shoe and he thought dad was unconscious?"

"Urnur." Fisk shrugged. Zak sighed.

"I'll be happy when this nutty mission is over… or when I get to talk to the Beast of Gévaudan agai-… Fisk? What's wrong?" The eleven-year-old saw his best friend frantically sniffing the air, red eyes wide and ears twitching in every direction. "What? What?!"

And then Komodo started growling as Zon let out a scream. All three cryptids craned around to the open door. Zak looked with his friends before an eerie but strange sound reached his ears. He heard tapping, like Komodo's claws on the metal floor. But… Komodo was right here. What was that?

Then they saw a long snout before red and yellow eyes peek around the doorway. It was the Beast of Gévaudan!

"Holy Shiitake Mushrooms!" Zak squeaked. "How'd you get in _HERE_?! You're not even on the radar!"

The monster dog-like cryptid moved to the doorway and got about halfway inside before Fisk jumped defensively in front of Zak. With its eye contact broken with the boy, the beast's aggressiveness returned. The creature bared its teeth at the gorilla-cat and sprinted forward. The Beast of Gévaudan raced at full gallop before slamming its head into Fisk's chest. The gorilla-cat gave a wet cough before he was launched across the control room.

"Fisk!" Zak gasped. Then Komodo rushed the beast.

The genetically altered komodo dragon took a bite at the Beast of Gévaudan left paw. But the beast lifted its leg before Komodo's jaws snapped over it. Then the monster cryptid latched onto the back of Komodo's neck with its big jaws. Picked up by his tough, impenetrable hide, Komodo was shook by the beast before he was flung to the far right of the control room.

Zon dove off of the hand-railing she was perched on and jumped on the Gévaudan Beast's back. Driving her needle-like teeth into the creature's ear, Zon made the beast roar with pain and anger. The Beast of Gévaudan bucked, trying to get the female Ornithocheirous off of its back. When bucking and rearing didn't work, the beast fell to the floor and rolled over Zon. With the extra four-hundred pounds on her, Zon released the monster cryptid. Getting to its feet, the Beast of Gévaudan picked Zon up by the foot and flung her on Fisk.

Then it set its eyes on Zak Saturday.

Zak's dark eyes were now glowing with yellow energy. Again, he reached out to the beast's mind.

"Stop! I mean it! Stop!" The eleven-year-old commanded, holding out his hand. The Beast of Gévaudan's eyes shone with Zak's cryptid powers.

But instead of stopping, the beast walked toward the boy, fangs dripping with slime. Zak's eyes widened but he didn't stop reaching to the cryptid with his powers.

"That's enough! Don't come any closer!" The boy commanded again. Nothing; the beast kept advancing.

_The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian._

The Beast of Gévaudan was whispering to him again, but Zak couldn't concentrate on it. The only thing in Zak's mind was the monster in front of him, baring its long teeth. Desperately, the eleven-year-old brought his hand the beast's head and gave its nose a swat. Jolted and surprised, the Beast of Gévaudan shook its fur before going into a sneezing fit. Zak saw his chance to get around it. As the beast sneezed and sneezed, he snaked along the wall to the right of the creature. The dog-like creature saw that the boy was trying to get away and as it sneezed, it took a swipe at Zak with its paw. Though it missed by a mile, the message was clear in Zak's mind.

Zak obeyed his instincts… He ran. The Beast of Gévaudan sneezed but followed the boy out the door and into the web of hallways.

He could hear the dog-wolf-like creature's breathing and could almost feel its moist breath on his neck as he bolted down corridors. Zak was freaking now. His cryptid powers hadn't effected the Beast of Gévaudan! Now he had no choice but to run. Too bad fear blocked his mind. Sprinting away like a frightened rabbit, Zak was doing just what the beast wanted him to; he was heading for the bay doors, the open ramp and outside.

By the time Zak turned the last corner and hung a right, he realized that he was racing toward an open ramp. Skidding to a stop, the eleven-year-old knew that if he ran outside, he would be totally open and the beast could easily take him. Turning, Zak started running back up the hallway, hoping that the Beast of Gévaudan hadn't caught up with him yet. But he nearly ran into the creature as it walked out of the hallway he'd just come from. He gasped as the beast growled and slowly advanced toward him. Again, Zak was forced to do the monster dog-like cryptid's bidding; he backed up toward the open ramp.

The Gévaudan Beast pushed Zak nearer and nearer to the ramp and outside. The eleven-year-old felt the heels of his sneakers teeter where the floor gave into a slope. He froze, knowing if he went down the ramp he'd be dead. But the beast growled, baring its dagger-like teeth, threatening death if he didn't do what it wanted. Zak saw no way out.

"Zak!" He suddenly heard his mother's voice from up the hallway. Both Zak and the Beast of Gévaudan craned to Drew Saturday.

The boy saw his mom holding her Tibetan Fire Sword at the beast with Doc and Doyle right behind her.

"_DUCK_ Zak!" Drew yelled as her Fire Sword began to glow. In that same second, the specialty fire weapon discharged a fireball the width of the hallway.

Zak took a step backwards only to find a sloped floor behind him. He fell backwards and tumbled down the ramp as Drew's fireball hit the Beast of Gévaudan. The monster cryptid was shot out of the airship by the massive burst of fire. It flew nearly the full quarter of a mile to the forest before gravity pulled and it tumbled to a smoldering stop in the grass.

Zak clapped his hands around his head as he too lie in the grass at the foot of the ramp. When he heard the fireball hit the Beast of Gévaudan and the cryptid whistle through the air, he opened his eyes. He saw the beast land far away. Getting to his feet, the boy scrambled up the ramp, nearly smacking into his uncle, father and mother.

"Zak!" Doc grabbed his son and yanked him into the zeppelin. In the distance, the Beast of Gévaudan got to its feet, its reddish fur smoldering with the fire blast.

Drew zipped down the ramp and fired two more fireballs at the creature. As fire rained from the sky, the beast's primeval fear of flames took over. Without a noise, the monster dog-like cryptid shot back into the woods. And just like that… the Beast of Gévaudan was gone.

"Quick! Drew, back into the airship!" Doc called to his wife, hitting the button to shut the ramp. Drew ran up the ramp as it began to close.

The Saturdays watched the forest and any sign of the beast before finally, the ramp shut snuggly over them. They were safe and the adults turned their attention to Zak,

"Are you all right, kid?" Doyle questioned, kneeling to look his nephew in the eye. Zak nodded but looked up to his father.

"Are you okay, dad?" The eleven-year-old questioned. The man looked down to his son and managed a quick grin.

"Yep. The worst it did to me was knock me out and drool on me." Doc returned, putting a hand on Zak's head. The preteen laughed as Drew sheathed her Fire Sword.

"Talk about fiery pest control, huh sis?" Doyle quipped. But he was promptly shut up when he saw the tears rolling down Drew's face.

Dropping to her knees, the woman pulled her only son into a huge hug, crying into his shirt. She nearly lost her husband, her beloved only son and cryptid pets. Zak held his mom and sighed. That was scary. No doubt about it.

Inside the forest, the Beast of Gévaudan shook its still smoking fur. So close and yet so far. The beast now knew what it was up against. In order to get to the boy, it had to get past his two powerful and caring parents, not saying anything about the cryptid pets. They all went to great lengths to care for their little cub but now they posed a problem. The Beast of Gévaudan was going to have to make the boy come to it, lest it get another one of those very powerful fireballs in the face and a Power Glove in the side.

* * *

R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!


	5. Smash N' Grab

Ohayho everyone! CJzilla here with another update! In this chapter the Beast of Gévaudan is getting a little desperate to get Zak in its jaws. Enjoy.

As I trash this city, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Love... Hate... review.

_Dragonscall: Bring on the dark fics! Thanks for R&Ring!_

_ArtimisHowl: Doyle... that's a hilarious name!_

_Amaris Solbes de la Vega: DUDE! Here's another update._

_allycat: I am immune to puppy eyes... But here's another update._

_Super Poof: Glad I could provide inspiration and thank you. I enjoy Doc and Drew even though they get their butts kicked regularly and they're the standard clueless and control freak cartoon parents... But they're good looking! Jay could have made them looking like Danny Phantom's parents. (CJzilla shudders) _

_Pirates VS Ninjas: Here's an update!_

_vballer: Thanks... you're too kind._

_AnimeBook12: Bring on the Shitake Mushrooms! Swear words disgust me so I never use them._

_crystalshake: Holy mushroom jokes Batman!_

* * *

Chapter 5

_Smash N' Grab_

_Come here. Come here. Come. Come._

Zak's eyes flew open and he looked around his room. He was hearing a voice calling to him.

"Mom?" The eleven-year-old boy rubbed his eyes and tossed his legs over the side of his bed. Zak stopped and listened. "Mom?"

_Come… Come here. Come._

Now the eleven-year-old was convinced someone was calling him. Hopping out of his bed, slipping on his sneakers and a hoodie Zak stumbled out his door. The voice kept calling him, kept summoning him through the airship. Barely awake, the eleven-year-old boy waddled through the corridors following the voice, thinking it was Drew.

"Mom? _Mom_, why are you up this early?" Zak complained, shuffling through the hallway. But the voice kept calling him, motivating him to walk passed the living room.

Komodo who was just waking up in the early morning light of the sun when he heard Zak walk by the living room. The huge lizard got to his feet and plodded after his eleven-year-old caretaker, curious to why the boy was up so early. Finally Zak heard the voice coming from outside. Dazed and slightly awake the eleven-year-old walked to the exit of the airship. Looking around, groggy Zak didn't see his mom anywhere.

"Mom? What the heck mom?" The boy called out, fed up with getting dragged out of bed by his weird acting mother. Then he heard the patter of lizard feet on the floor.

Looking up Zak saw Komodo walking casually up to him, a curious look on his usually hungry face.

"Mornin' Komodo." The tired eleven-year-old waved as he yawned. Komodo came to Zak's side and cocked his head. "Have you seen mom? She's been calling me and I can't seem to find-"

_Come. Come here. Come. Come._

Zak heard the voice again and it was coming from outside. The eleven-year-old sighed.

"How did mom get outside? And WHY is she out there?" Zak grumbled, hitting the button to open the doors and lower the ramp. Komodo was just short of getting concerned.

Drew hadn't even left the room she shared with Doc. Zon was still asleep in the rafters of the control room, Fisk was in his room and Doyle hadn't moved from his bed since his head hit the pillow last night; the komodo dragon hadn't seen anyone move the entire morning! Now WHY was Zak going outside? What if the Beast of Gévaudan paid another visit?

Komodo bit onto Zak's hoodie and pulled him back into the airship.

"Komodo! No! Mom's out here and she wants be to come to her!" The eleven-year-old gave the big lizard a stinging swat to his sensitive nose. Komodo dropped his shirt and recoiled. "I don't know why you're freaking out. It's just mom."

Zak walked down the ramp and out into the early morning French countryside. The sun had just peeked over the tall mountains and the entire valley was bathed in renewed sunlight. Yawning, the boy scratched himself as the cold nearly-fall air zipped up his hoodie and down his pants.

"Mom? Mom! I'm out here!" Zak stepped away from the ramp and glanced around the quiet morning scene. As he turned back to the airship, he spotted Komodo standing at the top of the ramp, still inside the zeppelin. "Where are you mom? It's cold out here!"

_Here._

Zak heard the voice behind him. Laughing he turned.

"Gee mom; I have a name you kn-" But when Zak turned around he was staring into the red and yellow eyes of the Beast of Gévaudan. Fear froze him over.

Komodo _knew_ something didn't smell right in the air! With a stroke of brilliance, the komodo dragon zipped to the nearest alarm button on a nearby wall. Komodo gave the glass-covered button a vicious head-butt. In an instant, the glass shattered and the alarm wailed through out the ship.

Drew and Doc were jerked from sleep. Still in their pajamas, husband and wife hopped to their feet and sprinted out into the hallway. Not a word was spoken as they flew to the rendezvous room. Zon was all ready in the control room and as Drew and Doc screeched to a halt. Just then Fisk and Doyle came skidding through the door.

"What?! Where's the fire?!" Doyle gasped, Fisk holding his furry hand over his rapidly beating heart. Doc and Drew looked over their family.

Two members were missing.

"Where's Zak?!" Drew gasped as she saw her son and Komodo were missing. Then they heard Fisk cry out to them, his face against the bay window.

"BEAST!" The Fiskerton Phantom formed a coherent word as his red eyes were the size of dinner plates. Everyone zipped to the window, only to see the Beast of Gévaudan staring into Zak's eyes.

"**ZAK**!" Doc cried out sprinting to the door, the rest of his family close behind.

Zak heard the alarm blare and he could kiss Komodo for having a flash of genius, but he was too busy staring into the Gévaudan Beast's eyes. He felt an icy feeling grip his chest as he stared into those fear-inducing eyes. The boy's feet seemed glued to the grass as nothing came to his mind. Then he heard whispers, the same whispers he heard from the beast yesterday.

Just then the wolf-dog-like beast jerked its head up and bared its teeth at something beyond Zak's shoulder. In an instant Komodo flew off of the ramp and sunk his teeth into the creature's upper left leg muscle. The Beast of Gévaudan was easily five times Komodo's size but that sort of thing never stopped the nutty lizard from biting off more than he could chew.

The Beast of Gévaudan snarled in anger as it tried to pull away but the lizard's teeth sunk deep. The creature's teeth went down over the back of Komodo's neck but its teeth couldn't penetrate the big lizard's thick hide. Komodo held onto the Beast of Gévaudan, giving Zak a chance to run back to the airship. The beast saw the boy getting away from it. Snarling at the troublesome lizard, it brought up its back left foot and scratched Komodo's head. That was enough to get the lizard to release it. As Komodo was partially blinded from getting claws across his face, the Beast of Gévaudan galloped after the boy.

Zak was nearly at the top of the ramp and as he reached the hallway, he saw the rest of his family thundering toward him.

"Zak!" Drew called to her baby boy.

"Mom!" The eleven-year-old called back, his eyes wide. And then everything from that moment went in slow motion.

Zak saw his family's eyes go to something behind him and their faces marred with horror. His feet couldn't hit the floor fast enough when suddenly something firmly grabbed him by the back of the neck. Jerked to a stop, Zak then realized that he was being dragged back out of the airship and down the ramp.

"ZAK!" Drew screamed, seeing her son's neck in the beast's jaws.

The Beast of Gévaudan had the boy by the back of the neck and was pulling him back down the ramp. Hauling Zak's eleven-year-old body was easy for the huge dog-like cryptid and it spun, pointing its nose back to the forest from where it came. Jumping over the wounded and partially blinded komodo dragon, the Beast of Gévaudan made a break for the trees.

By the time the rest of Zak's family got to the ramp, the beast had gotten in a couple of good sprints between them, still holding onto Zak. Fisk snarled in absolute rage as he ran down the ramp, the Beast of Gévaudan in his sights. Zon had taken to the air and screamed her extreme anger as she and the Fiskerton Phantom pursued the monster.

Fisk caught up to the creature and gave it a punishing blow to its side. Shunted, the monster cryptid skidded to a stop in the grass. Bringing its eyes up, it saw the gorilla-cat cryptid standing between it and the forest.

"_Basurg_!" Fisk fumed, making fists with his big hands. The Beast of Gévaudan growled back at the bothersome creature, its hair standing rigid.

Just then something from above cut into the beast's back. Flinching, it spotted Zon flap into the air, sheathing her talons with a clump of the beast's reddish fur in her grasp. By that time the boy in the beast's jaws had snapped out of his vertigo and began to fight back.

"Let go of me!" Zak slapped the beast in its eye. Irritated and starting to get angry, it had completely forgotten about the adults racing off of the airship.

Just then something exploded to the beast's side. Jumping, it spun and saw the red-headed adult cranking back his arm, a small explosive in his hand. The Beast of Gévaudan snarled at the man before the Fiskerton Phantom jumped onto it. The gorilla-cat's hands went into the beast's mouth to try and pry its huge jaws from around Zak's neck. The beast saw its chance to escape.

Shaking, Fisk's loose grip was easily undone from the beast's body. Now that the gorilla-cat was on the ground, the Beast of Gévaudan clawed Fisk's face, blinding him. Fisk let go of the monster's jaws and clapped his hands over his pained face.

Turning, the Beast of Gévaudan sprinted to the forest with no one to stop it.

"It's getting away!" Drew cried out, her eyes streaming with tears. "ZAK! NO!"

Zon came in for another swipe. Flying fast and hard to the monster that was taking her kind human caregiver, Zon opened her talons to dig deep into the beast's flesh. But before she could get to it, the beast zipped into the trees. Even Zon couldn't fly through trees and it stopped her cold. Dropping to the ground the female Ornithocheirous screamed at the woods, pacing the spot where the beast had disappeared with Zak.

Fisk was on his feet again. Pushing the pain of his scratched face out of the way, the gorilla-cat bounded into the trees after the Beast of Gévaudan. Swinging from the tree branches, Fisk rigorously searched the immediate area and found nothing. No creature, cryptid or otherwise could move THAT fast with a human boy in its jaws. But there was no sign of the beast… or Zak. Nothing.

"No. No. No. _No_! NO!" Fisk broke tree branches and tossed them in every direction. Then he took in a big breath and gave a roar that shook the valley.

With his hope taking a huge blow but his rage far from satisfied, Fisk felt tears fall from his eyes. But now was not the time for that! Turning, the gorilla-cat sprinted back to the airship. Drew and Doc will know what to do. They would find Zak... either alive or in pieces and that's what scared Fisk the most.

Drew and Doc were scrambling for their hover disks when they saw Fisk come running back out of the woods. Zipping up to his family, the gorilla-cat shook his head.

"Oh no." Drew gasped as she strapped her feet onto the hover disk. Doyle came running out of the airship with his jetpack.

"Doyle! Fly over the area! _Stop_ that thing at _all_ costs!" Doc yelled as his hover board left the ground. Without any word of agreement, Doyle took to the air on his jetpack and flew over the trees.

Doc took off to the right of the forest while Drew took the left. Fisk waved at Zon and the female Ornithocheirous flew down from the sky and picked up the gorilla-cat, leaving Komodo to zip into the woods.

The entire family fanned out to search for the eleven-year-old boy in the jaws of the Beast of Gévaudan.

Zak awoke to a warm feeling over his body. He heard the breeze moving through the leave of trees as it tickled his face. The eleven-year old's head was on something soft and warm.

Zak's eyes fluttered open but shut just as quickly in this inviting lull. Though his eyes were shut, Zak's senses began to adjust to the conscious world. The air was cool and damp as it hung on his face. The boy turned in his sleep and immediately he felt the soft and warm thing his head was lying on move out from under him. Zak caught his head before it hit the ground but he curled up into a ball and tired to go back to sleep.

Then he felt a wet and warm tongue move over his neck and cheek, encouraging him to rouse. Zak laughed and pushed who he thought was Komodo away.

"C'mon Komodo. I'm trying to get some sleep." The boy curled into a ball again. Again he felt a supporting lick to his face.

_Secret stone…_

There was that voice again. And then reality hit Zak like a wall at Mach 4. His eyes flew open and he saw a huge shadow standing over him. As his sight adjusted, he saw those terrifying red and yellow eyes of the Beast of Gévaudan. Zak gasped as his hand curled around a rock. Bringing his arm up, he swung the rock with all of his might. The rock struck the dog-like monster on the side of the head. It yelped in pain as Zak scrambled to his feet.

The eleven-year-old found himself in the middle of a thick forest of broad-leafed trees. The ground was wet and muddy and he fell half-a-dozen times trying to get away from the Beast of Gévaudan. Just as he floundered over a log, the beast was waiting for him. Zak squeaked in surprise as he made an effort to clamor over the log again, but he felt those vice-like jaws close over the back of his neck. The boy fought, clawing and kicking the huge cryptid.

Zak was still thrashing as the beast carried him through the forest by the back of his neck. The eleven-year-old's hands were shooting in every direction, looking to grab onto _anything_!

Finally Zak grabbed an old bulky tree branch. Picking it up, he swung it backwards, hitting the beast on its head. Still its jaws did not release him. Zak kept pounding the cryptid with the big stick. Finally the Beast of Gévaudan snarled in annoyance and dropped him to his back. Now on his back, Zak got better leverage to strike. Bring up the branch, he aimed to take out the beast's eye, but it caught the branch in its mouth. Zak let go of the branch as it was yanked out of his hands and cracked in half by just a flex of the beast's jaws.

Now quaking with fear, Zak was held to the ground by a huge paw. The Beast of Gévaudan locked eyes with him.

_The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian._

There it was again; the beast was TALKING to him.

"You-… you can talk?" The eleven-year-old gasped. The beast cocked its head and brought its mouth down to his face.

The Beast of Gévaudan was now licking Zak's face much like a puppy would do.

_The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian._

Zak gagged and pushed the beast's face off of his.

"Let me go! I'm _not_ going to be your next meal!" He snarled, squirmed as he grabbed the wrist of the creature's paw. He couldn't move the heavy animal off of him even if his life depended on it. "You rotten piece of work! You mage-infested man-eater!"

_The guardian of the secret stone…_

With that the Beast of Gévaudan lifted up its paw from Zak's chest and sat on its haunches. The boy sat up, picked a twig out of his hair and quirked a brow at the monster.

"What? Guardian of the-…" He blinked. "Wait… You're a guardian?"

_The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian._

The beast's red and yellow eyes softened and its tail began to wag, just like a normal dog. It was creepy and Zak shuttered.

"What is wrong with you?!" He threw his arms in the air. "You're a man-eater but you're not nibbling on me! I'm a kid and _should_ be on your menu… not that I'm complaining…"

The large cryptid stretched his neck down to eye level with the boy.

_Guardian… of the secret stone._

Zak had just about enough of the beast repeating that.

"Yes, yes; you're a guardian! I know! But you're a man-eater-…" Then realization hit him and Zak looked at the creature. "You're killing to protect… the secret stone?"

The Gévaudan Beast's tail was really wagging now. The eleven-year-old looked long and hard at the creature.

"What… is the secret stone?" Zak questioned. The beast's red and yellow eyes twinkled.

_The secret stone of the guardian._

Zak quirked a brow.

"The secret stone is the secret stone of the… guardian?" The boy asked. The beast's tail was thumping hard on the ground and he could almost see a dog-like grin on its face.

_The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian._

The eleven-year-old clapped his hands over his head, feeling brain freeze coming on.

"Oh… my head hurts." He groaned, closing his eyes for a second. Then he felt the beast's nose in his hair as it smelled him.

Pushing it away he glared.

"And is this why you drag me out of bed, trick me into coming outside before freaking out my family?" Zak growled. The beast's tail was still wagging.

Zak was not impressed.

"I told you not to hurt anyone! You gave my family a really good scare, let me tell you. Their eyes were as big as truck tires!" The eleven-year-old stomped his foot. "I bet they think that I'm as good as dead-"

The beast leaned forward and gave the boy's neck a lick. Zak brought his hand to his neck and found to puncture wounds where it had carried him.

"Okay… that's cool." Zak smiled. The Beast of Gévaudan got to its feet and its tail was going nuts. "But for now on, I don't want you so much as TOUCHING my family or anyone else!"

The beast's tail stopped wagging.

_The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone_-

"AHH! I _know_ what you're saying! But killing or mauling is not cool! For me and you to be friends, you have to stop killing!" Zak barked back. The beast paused before its tail began wagging again.

Zak sighed in relief and flopped down on his back. Staring up at the forest canopy, he caught a glimpse of blue sky through the crowded leaves. Then the Beast of Gévaudan looked down at him.

"And I bet this secret stone is why Argost wants you too." The eleven-year-old voiced pensively. The beast just cocked its head. "You're going to have to come with me and my family because if V.V. Argost wants you… you've got to be pretty valuable."

The boy got to his feet and stood along side the huge beast.

"I want to go back to my family's airship and you are coming with me." Zak commanded. The beast ducked behind the boy, ran its head between his legs and vaulted him onto its shoulders.

Zak laughed and held to the Beast of Gévaudan thick reddish fur. Though riddled with twigs and matted with dirt, he got a good grip. In an instant he and the Beast of Gévaudan were galloping through the thick forest, back to the airship.

Zak Saturday flew through the thick forest like the Beast of Gévaudan had wings on its feet. No wonder it could strike and vanish so quickly; it knew these forests like the back of its talloned-paws. The eleven-year-old held tightly to the beast's thick mane as it galloped through the dense French forest. The last log it jumped over, Zak bit his tongue and every time he looked up, he'd get a tree branch in the face. But riding on the back of such a fearsome and powerful cryptid made up for the uncomfortable trip.

Finally the Beast of Gévaudan flew out of the trees and Zak saw his family's airship. The beast bounded up the last few meters to the zeppelin and stopped as the eleven-year-old slipped off of its shoulders. Zak's feet hit the ground and as he spat out a mouthful of leaves, he saw that the ramp was still down.

"C'mon!" The boy gestured to the Beast of Gévaudan as he ran up the ramp. "We gotta contact my family and let them know I'm all right."

The huge dog-like creature hesitated at the bottom of the ramp, unsure about the strange metal mass in front of it. Zak stopped.

"C'mon!" He threw his arms in the air, stomping his foot. "Get your scary butt up here!"

The beast put a tentative foot on the metal incline and found it cold and unnaturally smooth. It growled at the shiny metal before Zak ran back down to it.

"Come _on_!" The eleven-year-old pleaded. "I'm not leaving you out here. If you recall you are not a favorite of the local villagers or Van Rook. If they see you out here, they'll make you into a rug!"

Taking the large and dangerous cryptid by the scruff of the neck, Zak tried to pull the massive animal up the ramp. The Beast of Gévaudan simply grabbed him by the front of the hoodie with its teeth and walked up the ramp with the boy in its mouth. The eleven-year-old folded his arms.

"Oh, so NOW you make it easy." Zak grumbled. The beast wagged its tail as it carried him into the airship.

Meanwhile with Zak's freaking family, Doyle was high above the forest hovering over the forest cursing at his technology. Over an hour and STILL there were no life-signs on his tracker! That couldn't be possible! The Beast of Gévaudan couldn't be THAT fast to flee the area without alerting his equipment! And what about Zak? Was the boy not giving off a signal because he was… dead?

Doyle snarled, feeling his throat tighten with tears. Drew WAS right! This mission was too dangerous for the boy! They should have been more careful or this would not have happened! One long hour had passed by; a long enough period of time for the monster to have all ready devoured Zak. Again Doyle's eyes combed through the thick forest below him. He just saw dew-soaked orange and green leaves winking in the sunlight. Nothing.

The feeling of hopelessness set in. Zak was gone.

Just then the alarm sounded from the airship. Craning around to the zeppelin, Doyle listened to the alarm wail in the valley air. Why was it going off again?

Zak!

There was a lump in Doyle's throat as he changed course and flew back to the zeppelin. He hoped and prayed that his nephew was all right.

Zak sat back in one of the control room chairs as he listened to the alarm blare, breathing a sigh of relief. He never thought he'd be happy to hear that shrill distress siren. Looking over to the Beast of Gévaudan sitting at his side, the monstrous animal looked back at him. Leaning in, it gave the boy a lick to his face with its strangely forked-tongue. Zak laughed and pushed it off of him. The alarm would bring his family back to the airship and hopefully their blood pressure didn't spike too bad.

"You promise to behave yourself in front of my family?" The boy asked, passing his hand over the creature's head. Bowing its head, the Beast of Gévaudan let the boy pet it. "I'm going to take that as a "yes"."

The beast closed its eyes and let Zak scratch its small, pointed ears.

""The Beast of Gévaudan" is such a mouthful. I'm gonna call you Géva." The eleven-year-old stated. There were no complaints from the beast.

In that moment, Doyle was the first to make it to the zeppelin.

"Zak! Zak! ZAK!" Doyle had flown over the ramp and into the hallway, dumping his jetpack somewhere behind him. The red head flew through the halls to the control room.

Busting into the control room, the man's eyes came immediately to the Beast of Gévaudan sitting beside a chair. Doyle skidded to a stop and dropped to the floor as the monster cryptid looked up at him. Just then Zak poked his head out from behind the chair next to the beast.

"Uncle Doyle!" The boy cheered, scrambling out of his chair and racing up to his flabbergasted uncle. Zak was just about to hug Doyle when the red head grabbed the eleven-year-old by the arm and yanked him to the door.

"_Move_ Zak!" The red-headed man barked seeing the Beast of Gévaudan get to its feet. But before Doyle could drag his nephew to the door or Zak could explain the situation, the beastpounced.

The huge animal slammed Doyle to the floor, making him release Zak. The Beast of Gévaudan growled into the man's ear and Doyle got a glimpse of its slime-covered fangs. The creature's jaws could easily fit the ex-mercenary's thick head.

"Géva STOP!" Zak grabbed handfuls of the beast's mane and gave a sharp tug. The Beast of Gévaudan's attention was yanked off Doyle and back to the preteen boy. "I told you to behave!"

The huge cryptid obeyed the boy and walked to Zak's side, calmly sitting near him. The boy zipped up to his uncle and helped him to his knees.

"It's okay, Uncle Doyle!" Zak said. "The Beast of Gévaudan wouldn't hurt a fly."

Again Doyle lashed out and grabbed his nephew by the arm.

"Wouldn't hurt a fly my a-!" The ex-merc flew made a scramble for the door, dragging Zak behind him. The beast snapped to its feet and grabbed Doyle by the boot.

Once again the man was on the ground but this time, Zak was pancaked under him. Doyle's heart was in his throat as he was yanked off of his nephew by his foot. Tossed in the air by a flex of the Beast of Gévaudan's powerful neck, the man hit one of the windows. He let out a grunt of impact and fell to the floor.

"Oh man! Uncle D!" Zak got to his feet and attempted to run back over to his uncle. But then the beast grabbed him by the back of the shirt and held him in the air. "Stop! You don't understand, Géva!"

By that time Doyle got back to his feet. He saw Zak kicking and squirming being held in the jaws of the Beast of Gévaudan. Rolling up his right sleeve, the red head exposed a wrist-launcher full of anything from nets to bullets.

"Eat hot lead you freak of nature!" Doyle cocked his wrist launcher and took a bead on the beast's head. Zak waved his arms in his uncle's crosshairs.

"Wait! Wait! I can explain!" The eleven-year-old pleaded, flailing his arms in the air as he felt Gévaudan Beast drool run down his neck.

"Save it kid! You're too young to die. If we stick around here, we're not gonna see the looks on your parents' faces once they find out you're still alive." The red head told his nephew. Spinning the roulette of his wrist-launcher Doyle picked the biggest bullet in his arsenal. "Let's not give the Beast of Gévaudan another chance to take you from us."

"No! No, don't kill it!" Zak finally choked out. Doyle froze, blinking at what his nephew had just said.

Then the Beast of Gévaudan spun and ran out the door.

"Ahh! I _CAN'T_ WIN!" Zak shouted as he was being forcibly carried through the airship. Doyle ran after the beast and his nephew.

The Beast of Gévaudan sprinted through the hallways. The boy's family was insane! The red-headed man just tried to shoot at the boy! There was no way the beast would stay here any longer.

"Hang _on_, Géva!" Zak was getting bounced and trounced, still dangling by his hoodie. It was pretty hard to talk let alone THINK when he was being partially carried and partially dragged.

Finally the eleven-year-old's hoodie ripped under the strain. Just as the beast was about to round a corner the hoodie shredded and Zak fell unceremoniously to the ground, tumbling to a rude stop on the metal floor. The Beast of Gévaudan heard the fabric rip and felt the boy drop to the ground. Coming to a stop, the beast's paws skidded over the smooth metal floor and it popped out in to adjacent hallway.

The Beast of Gévaudan chewed on the orange fabric in its mouth, the cloth tangled around its sharp teeth. It shook its head, trying to dislodge Zak's torn hoodie from its maw. Just then it heard a chorus of gasps from down the hallway. Craning around, the Beast of Gévaudan saw the rest of the boy's family; his parents and three cryptid pets.

The monstrous dog-like cryptid turned to them and all Doc, Drew, Fisk, Zon and Komodo saw was the shredded remains of Zak's hoodie in its mouth.

* * *

R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!

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	6. Trouble

Ohyaho everyone! CJzilla here with another update. In this chapter, it's looking like a full day for the Saturday family as two uninvited visitors barge in on them. Enjoy.

As I trash this city, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Love... Hate... Review.

_Dragonscall: Writing stories ahead of time is not and never has been my style. I obey my whims and I have the strengths and weaknesses that implies. I stay up too late, wake up too early and sometimes never finish fics because the muse is gone... Anyway, that's for R&Ring and here's a lightning fast update._

_CZG: Here's an update that will hopefully answer all your questions... and raise some new ones too._

_crystalshake: Funny how those things turn out huh?_

_Super Poof: Thanks Super Poof._

_Pirates VS Ninjas: Here's an update._

_allycat: Thanks. You're too kind._

_vballer: I hope that cliffhanger didn't make you lose any sleep. I tried to update as fast as I could._

_knAngel18: I can't get over how polite people are in this archive! I have a fic in the Total Drama Island archive and they're breathing down my neck and DEMANDING updates. Well, thanks for R&Ring and here's your update._

_KaliAnn: Thank you so much KaliAnn. That is a tremendous compliment._

_Amaris Solbes de la Vega: (CJzilla sticks out tongue) Well EXCUSE ME! I hate misspellings. I will correct "Shiitake" mushrooms. My computer said I spelt it right though... _

* * *

Chapter 6

_Trouble_

The Beast of Gévaudan growled a warning at the two humans and three cryptids. The boy's family stood there frozen, mouths agape as the beast finally spat out Zak's shredded hoodie. Finally, the two adults and three cryptids came back to life.

"You FILTHY **CUR**!" The woman screamed, her hand shooting to the sword on her back. She tore her weapon from its sheath, the mystical sword slicing the ceiling before the Beast of Gévaudan was in her furious crosshairs.

An extra flame-shaped blade shot out from the two-edged sword before a huge, super-heated fireball formed on the tip of the weapon. The woman's face twisted with a pained sob.

"My _BABY_!" BOOM! The weapon let go of the fireball.

The Beast of Gévaudan dug into the metal floor with its claws and dove down the adjacent hallway. The fireball screamed past it, shooting flames after the beast. Super-heat scorched the metal hallway as the beast ran for its life.

Zak was shaking off of his fall and had no idea that his mom had just sent a wave of searing heat that was speeding this way. He barely had time to look up when the Beast of Gévaudan snatched him up from the floor by the back of his neck.

"Whoa! Make up you MIND! Where's the fire?!" The eleven-year-old gasped. As if an answer to his question he heard the roaring of flames.

Looking behind Géva he saw a wall of flames chasing them. On the upside mom, dad, Fisk, Komodo and Zon were back at the airship! Downside: potential barbecue.

"Haul CARCASS Géva!" Zak shouted at the Beast of Gévaudan. Then the eleven-year-old saw the hallway to the living room. "There! The living room!"

The beast galloped forward, jumped to a wall and used the wall to bounce into the living room's hallway. The flames shot passed them as the monster dog-like cryptid bounded into the living room, Zak in its mouth. Finally the Beast of Gévaudan skidded to a stop and dropped the eleven-year-old to the floor. The beast panted, keeping its eyes on the doorway as the flames started to bleed onto the carpet. Suddenly the fire-sprinkler system was activated. Water rained down from the sprinkler heads.

Zak groaned lying there on his back, under the beast as the water rained down on them.

"This is just not my day." The eleven-year-old grumbled, his wild white and black hair getting soaked with water. Just then Zak's family busted into the room.

Doyle, Fisk, Komodo, Doc, Zon and Drew rushed into the room. They saw the Beast of Gévaudan standing over Zak's body. The scene looked pretty incriminating; it was in character for predators to return to their kill, even to defend the half-eaten carcass. Zak was lying under the beast and as the monster dog-like animal took an aggressive stance over him, it looked as if it was protecting its kill.

Komodo, Zon and Fisk jumped at the monster cryptid. The beast just stood over Zak baring its teeth and snapping at the three other cryptids. All four animals roared and screamed at each other, all furious. Fisk, Zon and Komodo were angry enough to tear the monster dog-like cryptid to pieces while the Beast of Gévaudan was busy protecting the boy. None were budging.

"GUYS!" Zak crawled out from under the beast. Everyone jumped ten feet in the air.

"ZAK!" The family cried. The eleven-year-old hopped to his feet and ran right into the arms of his cryptid "brothers" and "sister".

Fisk grabbed the boy in a huge bear hug as Zon ran her teeth through his hair and Komodo licked his feet. Zak laughed at the cryptids' attention. Then the Beast of Gévaudan vaulted over the boy and three cryptids, aiming for Drew.

It tackled the woman, making Drew release her Fire Sword. As soon as the beast saw that the fire-breathing weapon was out of her hands, it turned its attention to Doc. Doc saw the monster cryptid jumping toward him. As the Beast of Gévaudan opened its mouth to clamp down on the man's powerful glove, Doc snatched it by the scruff of its neck. Slamming the beast to the floor, Doc held it there as Doyle pointed his wrist-blaster at the monster animal. Drew pulled her Tibetan Fire Sword from the floor. She and Doyle took a pinpoint aim at the beast's throat. Drew sneered at the animal.

"Drop dead you monster." The woman raised her sword over her head to slash the Gévaudan Beast's throat. Doyle cocked a round into the barrel of his blaster and eased on the trigger.

"NO!" Zak dove at his mother, father and uncle and fell on the beast. "Don't hurt it!"

Drew stopped mid-blow and Doyle immediately took his aim off of his nephew but Doc still held the beast to the ground.

"Zak! Get off of that thing!" Drew commanded as Doyle ripped the boy off of the creature. The eleven-year-old kicked in his uncle's grasp.

"TIME OUT! Just-…! TIME OUT!" Zak squirmed. "Just LISTEN!"

The room fell silent, only the sound of water from the sprinklers heard.

"The beast is tame as long as you STOP ATTACKIN IT!" Doyle dropped his nephew to his feet. Zak was jumping up and down, having a little anger fit. "And if you guys just LISTENED for two seconds, I could have told you that the beast… can _talk_!"

"What?!" Doc barked as the beast squirmed in his grasp. He looked at the snarling beast in his arms and then at his son. "Impossible! This thing's nothing but fangs and bad attitude!"

Zak shook his head and tried to pry his father's handholds over the beast's mouth and front legs.

"No! It can talk! It told me that it's a guardian and THAT'S why it's killing, to protect the secret stone!" The eleven-year-old rattled off. Finally Doc's grip loosened enough for the Beast of Gévaudan to writhe free.

Getting to its feet, the beast growled and snapped at everyone, completely agitated. Everyone but Zak jumped back.

"Easy Géva." The eleven-year-old soothed, calling out to the beast with his cryptid powers. The boy's eyes glowed with yellow incandescence as he calmed the Beast of Gévaudan.

The monster dog-like cryptid's lips finally went down over its teeth and the hair on its back relaxed.

"There! Who's a good doggie? Who's a _good_ doggie?!" Zak ran his hand over the beast's head. To everyone's shock, the beast started wagging its tail.

"You NAMED it?" Doyle shivered, watching the beast's menacing red and yellow eyes close at the boy's stroke. The eleven-year-old nodded.

"Yep! The "Beast of Gévaudan" was such a mouthful." Zak returned. Drew still held her Fire Sword close.

"But so accurate." She sneered at the animal before pulling her son into a huge hug. "Oh, Zak! I thought you were dead!"

The boy laughed lightly.

"Me too! But Géva just wanted to talk and it told me that it was a guardian of some secret stone and that the guardian IS the secret stone." His family gave him a funny look. "Yeah. Kinda made my brain freeze too."

"Isusubur?" Fiskerton peeked out from behind Doc.

Zak nodded as Doyle pressed a few buttons on a control panel and the sprinkler system shut off.

"Yeah! A super mysterious, super defensive _guardian_!" Zak wiggled his fingers for emphasis. Doyle chuckled at his nephew.

"I find _that_ hard to believe." The red head narrowed his eyes at the monster dog-like cryptid. "For once I agree with Doc; the Beast of Gévaudan is nothing but a blood-thirsty fang-face. You sure you're not hearing things, short-stuff?"

Zak sighed loudly as he stopped stroking the beast's head.

"Géva … SPOKE… to… me! I heard a voice inside my head coming from the beast's head!" The eleven-year-old gestured wildly. The Beast of Gévaudan's yellow and red eyes snapped open.

His family gave him a funny look but jumped back when the beast turned to them. Its eyes fixed on Fisk and it walked forward. The Fiskerton Phantom yelped in surprise and leapt to the rafters of the ceiling. The beast stood on its hind legs and sniffed at Fisk. The gorilla-cat clung to the rafter and shuttered as he felt the beast's nose graze his fur. Zon growled and gave the monster cryptid a head-butt to its ribs.

The beast fell back on all four paws but gave Zon a funny look. The female Ornithocheirous's eyes were on the sides of her head and the beast had difficulty deciding which eye to look into. As Zon stalked toward the Beast of Gévaudan, hissing and growling, the much larger yet confused dog-like cryptid backed up. Then it felt something on its tail. Turning, the beast saw nothing but felt the pressure of a lizard foot on its lion-like tail. Though it couldn't see Komodo, it could hear and smell him. The beast turned, ignoring the irritable Zon and started sniffing Komodo. The genetically-altered komodo dragon finally became visible and the two started to circle each other. Komodo let out a territorial growl as Géva watched the cranky lizard.

"Easy Komodo." Zak scolded. "You keep calm and Géva will keep calm."

Komodo gave the beast one last sneer before walking back over to Zon and Fisk as the gorilla-cat hopped to the floor. Drew finally couldn't take it.

"I WILL not have this THING close to my family!" The woman hopped in front of the beast, her Fire Sword pointed at it. "It nearly got your father and took you from us!"

Drew gritted her teeth at the huge dog-like cryptid as her Fire Sword began to glow.

"This is a MONSTER and it is a threat to all humans!" She snarled at the Beast of Gévaudan. "It's better off dead!"

Again Zak zipped in front of a dangerous weapon to save this man-eater.

"No mom! Don't!" The eleven-year-old pleaded. He remained teasingly out of her reach as he defended the large animal. "Géva's valuable to us!"

Drew's face twisted with anger and frustration.

"Argost wants Géva, mom. Van Rook told me so." Zak voiced as the Beast of Gévaudan put its head on his shoulder. Giving the beast a little scratch, the boy continued. "I don't know why but what makes Argost do anything anymore?"

The answer was obvious.

"The Kur Stone." Doc said from behind his wife. At the mention of the Kur Stone, the beast's red and yellow eyes went wide but fogged over with energy.

Placing a hand on the hilt of her Fire Sword, Doc eased Drew's aim off of the animal.

"Zak's got a point there Drew. If Argost sent Van Rook, don't you think he wants it for something?" The super-genius stated before Zak gasped. Everyone looked up to see the Beast of Gévaudan trembling.

_The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian. The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian. The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian._

Zak heard the beast's mind going crazy.

"It's-… The Kur Stone! Géva has something to do with the Kur Stone! Its brain is going cuckoo!" The boy clapped his hands over his ears, the beast's unspoken voice getting louder and louder in his own mind. Finally the volume of the beast's mind dropped Zak to his knees.

Just then everyone heard something small and metallic hit the window. Turning, they saw a dozen small, booger-yellow balls stick to the window. With a loud sizzle, the glass started to melt and break. Then one of their hover disks rocketed through the air. The Saturday family barely had time to dive out of the way as the hover machine broke the glass and ripped through the room. The hover disk clanked to the other side of the room and the Saturdays didn't have time to get up when they heard a "thunk" from the broken windows.

Looking up, they saw the last two people they thought they'd see here.

"Greetings and bienvenue, Saturdays." V.V. Argost greeted, a smile on his crooked mouth as he hopped off of Munya's shoulders. In a flash all the Saturdays were on their feet.

"Argost!" Doc snarled, making a fist inside his Power Glove. The megalomaniac chuckled, his large shoulders bouncing with his chuckle even in the face of daunting fire-power.

"The one and only Mr. Saturday." Argost bowed smugly. "I saw that your door was open, but a quiet entrance has never been my style."

He laughed again as Munya just gave the Saturdays a dead stare.

"Though I dig your use of Mongolian Blood Worm venom, you ain't got _NO_ style!" Zak shouted at the hunched, chalk-faced man, swiping the air with the Claw. Argost turned his attention to the boy with the troublesome cryptid influencing powers.

"My dear boy, you know that's not true. V.V. Argost never does anything small." Then Argost's dark eyes came to the Beast of Gévaudan. "Which brings me to the reason for my unannounced visit, Saturdays. You have something that I want."

Drew, Doyle and Doc glanced at the Beast of Gévaudan and Zak standing defensively in front of it.

"The beast? What for?" Doyle barked, cocking his wrist-launcher at the man and his creepy manservant. Argost looked at Van Rook's ex-apprentice and his eyes sharpened with irritation.

"That's for me to know and you to not find out until it's too late." The pasty-faced man returned glancing over the Saturday family. Then his hands shot into his cloak and he retrieved six marble-sized spheres, holding them between his fingers. "Now hand over la bête du Gévaudan and you may keep all of your faculties."

The Saturdays stanced for a fight.

"You're a fool, Argost." Drew growled, drawing her Fire Sword and pointing it at the villain. "You're out numbered; the odds are against you."

Argost smirked and gave a quick chuckle.

"On the contrary, my dear. The odds are in my favor, if I play dirty." He returned before throwing the six small balls to their feet. Everyone tensed as the marbles suddenly exploded into a huge cloud of smoke.

The smoke blanketed the room, blinded and choked everyone. But Drew, Doc, Zak and Doyle dared not swing and/or fire their weapons lest they hit one of their family members instead of Argost or Munya.

From inside the cloud of smoke Zak heard Zon and Fisk cry out before he heard them tossed across the room.

"Fisk! Zon!" Zak choked on the smoke as he pulled his shirt's collar over his nose. Opening his eyes, he saw a large figure standing in front of him through the haze of smoke. "Back off Munya!"

The eleven-year-old fired his Claw and it met it's target. He heard a grunt of surprise and impact but it wasn't from Munya. It sounded like dad.

"Shoot! Dad! I'm sorry! I can't see anything!" Just then he felt someone grab his arm. The next thing he knew, he was flying across the room and heaped on Fisk and Zon.

Holding his head, he was helped to his feet by Fisk. Still, nothing could be seen but endless smoke.

"Zon! Give us a little wind to clear up this room." Zak called to the female Ornithocheirous. With an acknowledging chirp, Zon opened her huge wings and flapped the air.

She created a wind tunnel that cleared the room of Argost's smoke bombs. Suddenly the room was cleared and everyone could see where each other were. Zak nearly guffawed when he saw his mom holding hands with Argost, thinking that the pasty villain was Doc. Drew jumped away like he was red-hot and pointed her sword in his face.

"For the record." There was a dirty smile on Argost's face as he looked at the curvy woman. "You were holding me."

With a flex of his arm, he wrapped his Megatooth shark skin cloak around Drew's Fire Sword, jerked its double-edged blade downward and threw his other fist across the woman's face. Drew reeled with the blow as Argost unraveled her powerful weapon from his cloak. Taking the sword in his hands, he aimed it at Doyle, who was wrestling with Munya. With a thought, Argost commanded a fireball at the tip of the sword. The ball of flames screamed off of the sword and hit Doyle in the side, rocketing him off of Munya and into a nearby wall.

Argost let out a power-hungry chortle as he saw how destructive this mystical Fire Sword was. But then Doc jumped on him from behind, wrapping his huge arms around Argost's comparatively smaller frame.

Munya turned his attention back to the Beast of Gévaudan as it was near the boy, checking if he was all right. The tall, blocky man with a dead stare and monocle quietly walked over to the child, his two cryptids and the beast. Zak, Zon, Fisk and the beast saw the man approaching. But then suddenly something unseen knocked Munya to his face. Half a second afterwards, Komodo appeared and jumped onto the man's back. Hissing at Munya, Komodo held his face to the floor with his foot.

"Fisk! Zon! Help Komodo!" The eleven-year-old commanded. The seven-foot-tall gorilla-cat and teal Ornithocheirous nodded and raced to help the nutty komodo dragon hold Munya tothe floor.

Zak then turned to the Beast of Gévaudan.

"Géva! You gotta get out of here! Argost's not gonna stop until you're his!" The eleven-year-old started pulling the beast toward the door. In that same second, an animalistic roar echoed through the room as Fisk, Zon and Komodo were blown off Munya.

V.V. Argot's manservant got to his hands and knees, his human form morphing into a half-human/half-cryptid. Four spider-like legs jutted out form the man's back, shredding his shirt. His muscles rippled and enlarged as his skin changed colors from his normal pale tone to a dark pink, nearly crimson hue. His hands and feet transformed into spider-like claws and as he stood, his face had also taken a turn for the uglier. His eyes were now crimson and slitted, just like a cat's. He was now half Papuan Giant Spider, half human and all evil.

Zak felt his jaw fall to the ground as Munya stalked toward him and the Beast of Gévaudan. The eleven-year-old drew his Claw and pointed at the wall of genetically-altered man.

"I'm not sure if I like you're pasty face more than your pink, creepy-crawly nastiness, Munya!" Zak scrunched his nose. But before the boy could fire his weapon, Munya spat out a thick, gooey steam of spider web from his mouth.

The jet of web smacked Zak in the chest, gumming the Claw and sending the boy to the wall. The eleven-year-old was stuck on the wall by the nasty spider web and no matter how much he writhed, he couldn't get free. Munya now turned his attention to the Beast of Gévaudan.

The monster dog-like cryptid with reddish fur growled a final warning at the man as he advanced on it. Munya didn't flinch as he narrowed his slitted eyes at the creature. The beast bared its teeth and jumped at the man. Both Munya and Géva crashed to the floor. The genetically-altered manservant held the beast's jaws away from his face and head, but the monster got a hold of one of his extra spider legs.

With a sickening crack, the beast bit down on Munya's top right spider leg. The man growled in pain as his extra appendage was ripped off from the joint. Munya tossed the animal off of him. The Beast of Gévaudan righted like a cat, Munya's twitching spider appendage still in its mouth. The half-man half-spider stood, glancing at his small but gory injury and glared at the beast. The monster dog-like creature chewed on his spider leg before swallowing it and returning the glare. The Beast of Gévaudan gnarled and charged at the genetically-altered man. Munya punched the creature in the side. It fell but grabbed a hold of his knee. Again Munya and Géva went tumbling.

Meanwhile Doc, Doyle and Drew had their hands full with Argost. Though the villain was still in Doc's arms, he managed to hold his own with his hands forced to his sides. Planting the tip of his shoe in Doyle's chin, he brought his heel down over Drew's shoulder as the red head reeled. Argost drove his heel into Doc's foot and off set his balance. Then he spun, using Doc as a weapon to knock around Drew and Doyle. But still Doc didn't let go.

"What do you want the Beast of Gévaudan, Argost?" The super-genius held tight to the pasty, dangerous man as he finally got his footing back. Argost laughed slightly.

"I'm not going to tell you." He returned, his ghastly and unnatural threat echoing in Doc's ears. "Like I said before Mr. Saturday; that's for me to know and you and your pathetic little family to find out when it's too late."

Argost flexed his muscles, ripping Doc's grip off of him. Then the man seized the super-genius by the wrist and threw him across the room.

Zak's eyes widened as he saw his father land on the wall that he was stuck to. Doc groaned and fell to the floor, slightly unconscious. Zak's eyes zipped back to Argost still giving his mom and uncle a run for their money.

"Fisk! Zon! Komodo! A little help over here!" The Fiskerton Phantom, genetically-altered komodo dragon and female Ornithocheirous shook the stars from their head and ran to the boy. Fisk, Zon and Komodo clawed at the gummy web holding Zak to the wall before the preteen finally dropped to the floor.

Zak glanced over his mom and uncle fighting Argost and Géva still wrestling with Munya.

"This is nuts! We need a plan!" He looked to his three cryptid pets.

"Tmusomubum?" Fisk questioned. The eleven-year-old then spotted Drew's Fire Sword lying on the floor.

"Fisk, help Géva. Komodo, Zon, you guys are with me." Zak gestured. Fisk did as he was told and he jumped into the fight with Munya and the Beast of Gévaudan while Komodo went invisible as he, Zon and Zak charged Argost.

Sliding on his side, Zak grabbed Drew's Fire Sword from the floor as Komodo slapped Argost's ankles out from under him. Zon snapped at the pasty man, making him crawl backwards.

"NOW FISK!" The preteen called out to his cryptid "brother".

Fisk grabbed Munya's ankles and threw him out of the broken window. As Zak predicted, Munya shot a string of web to the edge of the zeppelin to break his fall.

"GET CLEAR!" Zon and Komodo heard the boy's command and jumped off of Argost. Zak aimed the Fire Sword at the villain.

Argost barely had time to curl into his Megatooth shark skin cape as he was blown off of the floor and out of the window by a huge fireball. Zak shook the sting from the jolt of the fireball from his arms as he ran to the window ledge. Munya had caught his boss and both were dangling above the ground by a spider web. The eleven-year-old shot both of the villains a glare before he sliced the spider web. Both Munya and Argost fell to the ground.

"Fisk! Get to the doors and shut that ramp!" The preteen shouted at Fiskerton before he turned to his uncle. "Uncle Doyle! Get to the control room and get us out of here!"

Both Doyle and Fisk saluted and ran off to do what they were told. Turning his attention back to Argost and Munya, he shot fireballs to keep them at bay until the zeppelin took off.

Munya and Argost dove under the super-zeppelin to avoid getting barbecued by the flame-happy boy. Suddenly the ramp closed and the engines of the huge aircraft roared to life. In just a manner of seconds and in a huge gust of wind, the metal hooks detached from the soil and the zeppelin began to lift off of the ground. Argost shielded his eyes with his cape from debris as the airship was finally airborne. In an instant, the airship, Saturday family and Beast of Gévaudan was out of their reach and roaring off into the distance.

In the face of his defeat, Argost started laughing.

"My plan worked beautifully, Munya." The man cooed, tucking his hands back into his cloak. "They are none the wiser as to why I want the beast and as we speak, I can hear the wheels in their heads turning."

He chuckled.

"Our little "defeat" will put a little ember into their pants which will only motivate them. They will take la bête du Gévaudan back to their little home, unbeknownst that they are just playing into my plan." Argost smirked as he watched the cyrptozoologist family roar off in their airship. "When the opportune time comes; when they have both the Kur Stone and Beast of Gévaudan together, you, Van Rook and I will strike. So let them think that they've won; it will only make our REAL attack all the more surprising."

Argost threw his head back and gave an evil laugh into the French countryside as he watched the Saturday zeppelin fly off into the clouds.

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R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!


	7. Reality of The Beast

Ohayo everyone! CJzilla here with another update! In this chapter Zak is forced to realize why Géva is not called a beast for nothing. Enjoy.

As I trample this city, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Love... hate... review.

_Sangheili Warrior Girl: Thanks for R&Ring! The Beast of Gévaudan is one of if not my favorite cryptid. I'm glad you enjoyed this._

_allycat: A Doyle/OC oneshot or story? Probably not but thank you._

_Super Poof: Thank you. I never really did like Doyle. Maybe it's his funky hairdo, the fact that Will Friedle does his voice or his totally hilarious name. _

_Pirates VS Ninjas: Here's an update._

_CZG: Here's another update._

_crystalshake: Well, you're just going to have to read to find out._

_KaliAnn: Thank you. I'll keep my eyes open for your book._

_Amaris Solbes de la Vega: Thank you. I just have a hate for misspellings and grammar goofs, that's all. I'm cool._

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Chapter 7

_Reality of The Beast_

Zak fell to the floor of the control room, his ears still ringing from the fireball he used to chase V.V. Argost out of his family's airship. His family gathered around him. It had been a huge, confusing and funky morning. Zak was kidnapped by the Beast of Gévaudan, nearly shot up by his uncle, nearly barbecued by his mother and had defeated Argost… all this before breakfast. But according to the usual happenings around here... it was just another day in the Saturday household.

"Well done, son." Doc congratulated, pack of ice tied to his left arm. "You got rid of Argost and his minion; that deserves an ice cream."

"Icecreamur! Hurnur!" Fisk flexed his bicep muscles, smiling at his best friend. Zak laughed as Drew set her hands on her curvy hips.

"Are you bribing our son to do the right thing?" The woman questioned her husband. Doc quirked a brow.

"It's a congratulatory ice cream! Zak just defeated Argost and that freak he pals around with! Ice cream is the least I can do." The tall black man held his throbbing left arm.

Doyle smiled down at his courageous nephew.

"Way to go mini man." The red head nodded in approval. "You took care of two bad guys while your dad peeled himself off of the wall."

Doc glared at his brother-in-law.

"And while you were busy getting a mouthful of Argost's shoe!" The super-genius shot back, narrowing his silver eye at the younger man. "Tell me, Doyle, did you taste Italian leather because Argost's shoe was crammed so _far_ down your throat, you MUST have had time to savor a taste of it."

The usually mouthy red head balled a fist and lunged at his brother-in-law.

"Oh, and you were just catching your breath on the floor, huh smarty pants?" Doyle fired back. Drew had to jump in between her brother and husband.

"Tough to see me bite the dust when you got a fireball in the face! You still have eyebrows, Doyle?" Doc smirked, making fists with his hands.

"Relax you two!" Drew commanded, pushing on the men's chests. "We were all caught off guard! There's no need to nitpick each other."

"But some more than others. I include you in that, _Solomon_." Doyle smiled at his bigger brother-in-law. Doc scoffed at the challenge to his authority.

"You gotta be kidding me, Doyle. You were the first one to kiss the mat." The super-genius returned. Zak rolled his eyes as he sat up.

The eleven-year-old gestured for the Fiskerton Phantom to follow him as he got up and made for the door. Boy and cryptid made a quiet getaway, leaving Drew to handle Doc and Doyle.

Minuets later Zak and Fisk came down to a holding cell at the bottom of the zeppelin. Walking into the room, both gorilla-cat and eleven-year-old saw Komodo glaring at the holding cell. At the back of the cell was the Beast of Gévaudan. It's small, pointy ears perked up when it saw the boy through the transparent force-field. Getting to its feet, the beast came to the force-field, tail wagging and panting like an excited puppy. Komodo got to his feet too. The genetically-altered lizard hissed a warning at the Beast of Gévaudan before he turned to Zak and Fisk.

"The force-field's on, Komodo. Besides, Géva's cool; we don't need a guard lizard." The preteen smirked at the territorial komodo dragon. Patting the big lizard on the head, the eleven-year-old walked up to the beast's cell, leaving timid Fisk near the door. "Hey Géva. How's the coach seating working for you?"

The beast wagged its tail and cocked its head a little. Zak wasn't happy about keeping his new friend in a holding cell. His family didn't trust Géva like he did and so it was caged for the entire trip back to the Pacific Coast of the United States.

"I feel awful about keeping Géva down here." The eleven-year-old boy's face fell as he watched the beast look back at him through the transparent force-field. He turned back to Fisk and Komodo. "It saved my life when mom got all fireball happy."

"Busmumbmer." Fisk set his big hands on his hips and shook his furry head. Zak sighed.

"I know no one trusts Géva, Fisk." The boy with the wild white and black hair nodded. "But it's not too unpredictable to hang around in the family room! Géva would make a _killer_addition to the family!"

Fisk and Komodo shuddered at the mention of the word "killer".

"Isfissmur." The off-white gorilla-cat tapped his foot. Zak scrunched his nose.

"No way! Géva's done ripping out throats and killing. We made an agreement!" The eleven-year-old turned back to the Beast of Gévaudan. The look on the monstrous dog-like cryptid'sface resembled that of any dog's; sweet and innocent. "Aw! Look! Would that face hurt anything?"

Fisk glanced at Komodo, folding his arms and quirking a fuzzy brow.

"Furmussmurpfft!" The gorilla-cat returned. Zak sighed again.

"I KNOW that it wasted nearly one-hundred and twenty people, but it's got the puppy eyes! Ooo!" The eleven-year-old started making face and doing baby-talk to the monster cryptid.

The genetically-altered komodo dragon and seven-foot-tall gorilla-cat looked between Zak and the beast. They shivered. The Beast of Gévaudan was four-foot-six-inches at the shoulder, nine feet long from snout to tail and had a mouthful of nasty looking teeth. It always carried its head low, like it was always ready to pounce and rip out a larynx while anyone its red and yellow eyes fixed on would nearly wet themselves on the spot. Hardly the credentials for a good house pet.

Komodo growled, marched up to the transparent force-field and gave the beast a loud snarl. The beast merely blinked at the lizard before focusing on Zak again, angering Komodo further.

"We can teach it to play fetch, roll-over and get us soda from the fridge whenever we want!" The eleven-year-old went on, glancing back at Fisk. Then Zak's eyes got wide with excitement. "That's just the tip of the iceberg! There are limitless possibilities with a new dog in the family!"

Fisk rolled his red eyes. He knew that keeping the Beast of Gévaudan was not an option. While Zak insisted that it was harmless, it jumped on Drew and Doc before becoming very territorial over the boy. Besides, Doc and Drew wouldn't stand for it. The Beast of Gévaudan would probably be caged and hid away for the rest of its life.

Just then Zon growled from behind Fisk. The gorilla-cat jumped ten feet in the air before landing on Zak. The eleven-year-old groaned from under his best friend as Fisk held his heart. Zon had something of a smile on her bill as she walked into the room and gave Fisk a little nuzzle to the side of his head. Fiskerton sighed as Zak and Komodo laughed at him.

Later on that day, after traveling from France to the Pacific Coast of the United States of America, the jetlagged Secret Saturday family walked into their peaceful abode. It was evening by the time they got home and the coastal skies were painted with pinks, oranges and yellows. Doyle sighed loudly as he plopped down on one of the family's living room couches.

"That was one of the weirdest missions I have ever been on." The ex-mercenary red head rubbed his aching eyes. "And it's ironic that it was with my family and not with Van Rook."

Drew smiled at her brother as she and Doc walked into the living room.

"Sorry we couldn't provide more weapon fire and a bounty on the Beast of Gévaudan." The sarcastic woman grinned at her brother as she set her hand on her cocked hip. Doyle laughed, leaning his head back on the headrest of the couch.

"I'm still getting used to living with you after all that time I used to spend FIGHTING you guys." The red-headed man returned. Drew glanced at her husband, who had been deep in thought since they landed.

"What's with the face, my love?" The curvy woman walked up to her husband and kissed his cheek. "You've been lost in thought since we landed."

Doc glanced up at his wife and blinked.

"I'm just wondering what V.V. Argost would want with the Beast of Gévaudan. What's a fang-faced menace to society good for to that chalk-faced creep?" The super-genius wondered out loud. "And that's not even mentioning when Zak said the Beast of Gévaudan might have something to do with Kur."

Doyle chuckled and looked up at his brother-in-law/rival.

"Speaking of the little genius, where is Zak?" As if an answer to his question, the adults heard galloping footfalls on the metal floor of the hallway. Looking up they saw the Beast of Gévaudan tear into the room.

Everyone gasped and jumped back as the monster dog-like cryptid ran around the room, taking in the smells and sights from the huge bay windows. Just then Zak, Fisk and Komodo came running in after the beast. The eleven-year-old was laughing at the Beast of Gévaudan as Fisk was slightly cowering at the large dog/wolf-like cryptid stalking around the room. Komodo was fit to be tied; he was barely starting to let Zon settle into the family and there's no way he'd let another "dog" kick him out of his little niche. The territorial genetically-altered komodo dragon growled and ran after the beast, intent on making known who was the boss around here.

"Zak!" Drew and Doc were clinging to each other as they watched the huge cryptid run around the room with Komodo right on its heals. "Zak! Get this thing outta here!"

Doyle was on top of the couch as he watched the playful beast run around the room.

"Aw! Géva's just excited! It's been cooped up in that holding cell for hours! I'm just letting it run around for a while!" Zak smiled as he ran alongside the Beast of Gévaudan.

"Zak! The Beast of Gévaudan is a MAN-EATER! How many times do we have to tell you?!" Doc barked at his son as he held Drew close to him. "It'd rather eat you than play fetch!"

The preteen was on his back getting licks to his face from the monster dog-like cryptid.

"No way! Géva's not like that anymore! We made an agreement." Zak repeated, pushing the beast off of him and getting to his feet. His parents, uncle and cryptid "brothers" knew better.

"NO Zak!" Doc stated, letting go of Drew at seeing Zak keeping the beast still. "I don't care how much this creature seems tame, it's a dangerous animal!"

The eleven-year-old frowned.

"I know you guys don't trust Géva, but we share a bond now! Géva's through with killing; it promised." Zak insisted.

"No more of this, young man!" Drew narrowed her eyes at her son. "You are to take that beast and-!"

"Give it a tour of the house? Sweet! Thanks mom!" Zak knew what his mother was going to say so he cut her off. Quickly hopping on Géva's back, he held to the beast's reddish fur. "C'mon Géva! Let's check out the house!"

Without room for a objection, Zak gave the Beast of Gévaudan a kick to its sides. The monster wolf/dog-like cryptid bolted out the door, with the boy on its back.

"No! I want you to put the beast back in its holding cell! ZAK!" Drew called after her son, but there was nothing she could do to stop her nutty boy from having fun with his new "friend". She sighed and looked to Fisk and Komodo. "Just make sure Zak doesn't get eaten. If anything goes wrong, hit the alarm."

"Zazubar." Fisk saluted and ran after his best friend and scary Gévaudan Beast. You didn't have to ask Komodo, he was too territorial for his own good.

By the time Fisk and Komodo caught up with Zak and the Beast of Gévaudan, they were down in Drew's cryptid garden. The eleven-year-old was laughing, watching Géva run around the colorful grounds, sniffing and dodging some of the more dangerous plants. The gorilla-cat and genetically-altered komodo dragon stood by their human "brother's" side and watched the once blood-thirsty dog-like cryptid act like a normal dog.

"It's SO cool! It's like… SUPER pooch!" Zak smiled. He looked up at Fisk and the gorilla-cat gave his friend a funny look.

Then they saw Géva run to a tree and pee. Zak laughed a little as Fisk flinched. Komodo was horrified. The komodo dragon roared in rage and gave chase to the Beast of Gévaudan for peeing on his territory. Seeing the angry komodo dragon charging, Géva reared playfully and started to run. Fisk and Zak guffawed at seeing Komodo so seething angry but unable to catch Géva because it was faster.

After Komodo's pursuit had left the lizard breathless, the cranky lizard returned to Zak's and Fisk's side as they sat in the grass. They watched Géva run around without getting tired. Zak leaned on Fisk as the gorilla-cat chewed on a blade of grass, lanky arms behind his head. Komodo's eyes never left the dog-like cryptid and his forked tongue flicked in and out once in a while just to show how peeved he was.

"It's gonna be so sweet with Géva on the team now!" The eleven-year-old smiled. "Géva's fast, has an excellent sense of smell and those big teeth! Let Argost and Van Rook cower before the Saturdays now!"

Fisk sighed and shook his head as Zak swiped the air with his fists.

"Koppamur Gévamurmur. No yunumur." The gorilla-cat mumbled frankly. Zak sat up and shot Fisk a glare.

"Of course we're going to keep it!" The preteen frowned. "How many times do I have to tell you guys that Géva's good now?"

Komodo looked at the boy and growled his thoughts.

"No you too, Komodo!" Zak growled. "Géva's SO cool! How can you guys not like it?"

"_Maneater_mur." Fisk returned as he closed his red eyes. The preteen got to his feet and glared at his "brothers".

"You guys are so-! …So _not_ cool!" He threw his hands in the air. "Géva's different now!"

Fisk opened his eyes and stood. Putting his hand on Zak's shoulder, the gorilla-cat tried his best to get across his concern to the boy.

"Munburmnur. Wamurnurbemur." Fisk explained. The preteen's eyes fell to the ground, knowing his best friend to be right.

"It's a guardian but that is a good point Fisk." Zak looked to Géva who was digging a hole in the grass. "Would it harm any of us to keep its secret safe?"

Fisk nodded and watched Géva stick its head in the hole it was digging. A second later, it pulled out a huge bone and began chewing on it. Again Komodo was on his feet. That was HIS bone! With another roar of anger, the genetically-altered komodo dragon went running at the beast. But this time Géva stood its ground. Its mouth left the bone and its lips curled up over its teeth as Komodo neared. The two cryptids growled at each other. Komodo wouldn't stand for it and jumped on the beast. Both went tumbling into the grass.

Immediately Zak and Fisk ran to break up the fight.

"HEY! Break it up you two!" Zak barked at the two cryptids. Then he saw that Komodo had Géva by the foot while Géva had Komodo by his tail. "Stop! Right now!"

Reaching out with his cryptid powers, he ordered both beast and lizard to release each other. With their eyes glowing with yellow energy, Géva and Komodo let go of each other. As soon as they were apart, Zak picked up the bone and held it in front of both of them.

"Neither of you get this!" He shook it at the lizard and dog-like cryptid. Komodo went silent but Géva growled at the boy.

Everyone jumped back as the Beast of Gévaudan's ears laid flat on its head, glaring at Zak.

"Stop it Géva! This isn't yours in the first place!" The eleven-year-old frowned at the cryptid. But Géva continued to growl at him.

Finally the beast lunged at Zak, aimed at the bone in his hand. The preteen dropped the bone as he jumped back. Komodo latched onto Géva's hind leg as Fisk grabbed Zak and bolted up the nearest tree. Again Komodo and Géva were fighting. Zak gasped at seeing one of his "brothers" and the beast fight.

The eleven-year-old closed his eyes and focused his cryptid powers on the Beast of Gévaudan. By using his powers, he calmed Géva enough to freeze it. Komodo growled and circled the frozen cryptid.

"I-… I can't hold it like this for long!" The preteen voiced as Fisk lowered him to the grass. As if he could read the boy's mind, the gorilla-cat ran over to the door to the garden and punched the alarm.

As the alarm wailed, Zak now knew that his family was right about Géva. It was nothing short of an unpredictable cryptid.

Minuets later Zak watched as his father and uncle led a muzzled Géva into it holding cell by energy nooses around her neck. Releasing the Beast of Gévaudan into the small room, Doc hit the force field and locked the dog-like cryptid away. Géva growled at the men and pawed at its muzzle. Over the noise the beast was making, Doyle and Doc hung up their energy nooses and walked out of the room. Zak stood by the door as it zipped shut and he couldn't see Géva anymore.

"I'm sorry, son." Doc voiced, putting his hand on Zak's shoulder. The preteen looked up with hurt and confused eyes. "But the Beast of Gévaudan is a wild animal. If we do not find out what it has in common with Kur before morning, it will have to be destroyed."

Zak sighed again, dropping his eyes from his father's.

"I don't get it. Géva was so well behaved. What happened?" The boy questioned. No one really knew why she went crazy.

"Forget about that beastie, short-stuff." Doyle gave a smirk. "It's not like you don't have three other super-cool cryptids to hand around with."

The preteen nodded glumly before walking off to the family room. Doyle and Doc glanced at each other before walking off after the boy.

The three boys walked into the living room to see Drew putting some bandages over Komodo's scrapes he got from fighting with Géva. The woman shot her boy an I-told-you-so glare before she saw how depressed he was.

"Sweetie." She got to her feet and walked over to her son. "Don't look so down. None of us could have known that the beast would have turned on you like that."

Okay; THAT was a lie. Drew had told her boy over and over that the Beast of Gévaudan was a highly dangerous animal. If he would have only listened to his parents in the first place, none of this wouldn't have happened. Zak hugged his mother and sighed in her arms, knowing that she was trying to fudge over his goof.

"I'm sorry. I thought I was right but…" He trailed off as he left her arms. The boy walked over to Komodo and saw the bandages over his neck and front legs. "Sorry to you too, Komodo. I shouldn't have trusted Géva."

The spunky genetically-altered komodo dragon merely flicked his tongue smugly. Zak grinned a little and stroked his head. Fisk was hanging out on the couch, silently watching over his best friend. A guilty, depressed feeling circled the room. Doc finally got fed up with it.

"What about that ice cream, Zak? I've been hording a few gallons in the upstairs fridge." The tall man smiled as he threw his thumb over his shoulder at the elevator. Zak turned to his father and shook his head.

Fisk made a face, jumped off of the couch, grabbed the boy like a football and walked up to Doc.

"Icecreamur!" The seven-foot-tall gorilla-cat gave a thumbs up. Zak started to laugh as he, Fisk, Doc and Doyle made their way to the elevator.

Komodo shook Drew away from him as he waddled after the rest of the guys.

"Komodo! I'm not done with your bandages!" Drew shook her bandage at the big lizard. Komodo just turned up his nose at the last bandage and ran out the door.

Drew shook her head and stood. Boys.

Hours later, the Saturday house was silent. Everyone was asleep in their beds, tired from a tough but odd day. As everyone slept, there was no one to notice that the power of the security system suddenly hiccupped and shut down. Outside, at the roadway entrance to the Saturday fortress, three figures stood by the gate. A man folded shut his laptop, successfully hacking into the security system of the complex.

"We're in." Came a thick Russian accent as he gave a thumbs up to the two other men standing in the shadows.

"You and your super brain never cease to amaze me, Van Rook." An eerie, ghostly voice came from the midnight shadows before a pale face and crooked smile was seen. V.V. Argost and Munya stepped closer to Van Rook as he tucked his laptop back into his backpack.

"And that's why you should add another zero to my paycheck, Argost." The Russian mercenary remarked gruffly. "Between compensation for my injuries and the extra I charge for hacking, you're going to be a poor man."

Argost chuckled slightly.

"Mere pocket change once I get my hands on the Kur Stone and the secret that la bête du Gévaudan possesses." The villain returned. From under his helmet/mask, Van Rook rolled his eyes.

"Shall we commence with your crazy plan now, Argost?" The mercenary reminded. The chalk-faced man narrowed his dark eyes at Van Rook.

"But of course." Argost walked to the tall gate and shot Van Rook one last glare. "Be sure you complete your half of the scheme when the signal is given. My power and your paycheck rely on how well you execute your half of the plan, Van Rook."

With that threat the man did a eight foot leap from a standing position. Munya followed his boss and as soon as they were gone, Van Rook frowned.

"Like always… freak." The mercenary grumbled. When Argost divulged the part of his masterminded scheme that involved attacking the Saturdays on their home turf, Van Rook was shocked.

It was suicide.

Van Rook ran his hand along his mask/helmet. He had to get a new one since the Beast of Gévaudan ruined his old one. The merc's injuries throbbed. His scalp and some of his right ear was cut up but the worst part about his injuries was coming back to consciousness knowing that Munya had given him all the surgically precise stitches. That was a surprise and Van Rook HATED surprises.

V.V. Argost and Munya crept through the Saturday household. Everything was dead still; nothing moving or making a sound. Luckily for the two villains their prize was not near the portion of the house that held the sleeping cryptids and people. It was in another part of the fortress.

The door to the holding cells opened. Géva heard the footsteps through the hall and was all ready on its feet. As soon as the two intruders came into its view, the beast started to growl, the hair rising on its neck.

Argost soaked in the fearsome sight.

"Look at it, Munya. It's beautiful." The villain awed as he studied the Beast of Gévaudan. Munya looked at the creature with a slight hateful scowl on his straight face; he hadn't forgotten that it had bitten off one of his spider legs.

Argost neared the beast's holding pen and it began to growl louder and louder.

"I feel touched at such a warm welcome, you magnificent cryptid." He cooed at the Gévaudan Beast. "And you… shall help me take over the world."

The pasty-faced villain turned and walked to the doorway, his eyes resting on the big red button on the wall marked "alarm".

"You know what they say, Munya: make the rabbit squeal and the foxes come running." Argost said before bringing his hand to the alarm button and pressing it.

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R&R! LIVE LONG ROCK!


	8. At Your Backdoor

Ohayho everyone! CJzilla here with an update! Sorry, it's kinda short. In this chapter the Saturday family is scrambling to stop Argost and Munya from kidnapping the Beast of Gévaudan. But that's exactly what Argost wants them to do. Enjoy.

As I trample this city to the ground, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Love... hate... review.

AN: I will do a "dear reviewers" next chapter.

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Chapter 8

_At Your Backdoor_

Doc and Drew were jerked from a deep sleep by the wailing emergency alarm. Both adults flew out of their bed; Doc in his boxers and wife-beater, Drew in a night negligee and both grabbed their weapons. Running out the door both nearly hit heads with Doyle and Komodo.

"Who tripped the emergency alarm?" Doc barked, blinking sleep out of his eyes. Doyle groaned, running his hand through his bed head.

"I don't know but this is one view of my family that I could have lived my whole life _without_ seeing." The ex-merc commented, not liking being yanked out of a peaceful sleep to see his ¾ asleep brother-in-law in boxers and his sister in a tiny negligee, not to mention a komodo dragon with sleep spit still on his face.

Just then Zak stumbled down the hallway in his pajamas but missing a sock, holding the Claw in his hands. Fisk was right behind him with the worst bed head of all of them.

"I'm up! I'm up!" The eleven-year-old garbled, jolted from REM sleep. "Where's the emergency?"

The family looked each other over. If Zak and Fisk were here and not the ones to trip an emergency alarm… who did? Doc's face went straight as he ran back into the bedroom. Snatching a handheld device that was wired with the house's main computer out of the nightstand, the super-genius checked over the alarm system.

"The emergency alarm's coming from the holding cell area!" Doc came running back out of the room, eyes on the handheld monitor. Then the fence and gate's security systems were blinking. "And someone hacked the gates! The perimeter is WIDE open!"

Then Zak gasped.

"The holding area? That's where Géva's at!" Without another word the preteen went running to the elevators, Fisk and Komodo right behind him.

"Wait up!" Doyle went bolting after his nephew wearing nothing but bare feet, sweat pants and a t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off. Doc and Drew were hot on Doyle's tail as they ran after their son and cryptids.

This alarm was an emergency alarm, not a security alarm, meaning that this alarm had to be deliberately pushed to be activated.

V.V. Argost and Munya left the holding cell area as slowly as they could without raising suspicion. Soon the elevator was in sight; it was the only way out of the holding area and that level of the fortress. Argost stopped his stride and eyed the elevator hungrily. Munya, who had transformed into his half-human/half-cryptid spider-self, carried the Beast of Gévaudan over his shoulders. The beast was encased in a thick ball of web and unable to do anything but growl.

Argost cast his eyes to the elevator's controls. He watched for a long second, anticipating that the machine would soon move. Sure enough, the elevator dinged as it was summoned back up to the house. The Saturdays were coming. Argost folded his hands into his cloak and gave a little chuckle.

"Tread carefully, Munya." The chalk-faced megalomaniac looked at his manservant. "We must give the Saturdays a convincing battle. They _must not_ realize what our intention is. Van Rook still needs time."

Unyielding Munya simply nodded in return as he heard the elevator rise higher and higher toward the main house.

Under ninety seconds later, the elevator, full of Saturdays came to the bottom level; the level of the holding area. As the elevator doors opened Doyle and Doc were the first to jump out, weapons cocked for a fight. When they saw no one, they got to their feet.

"Clear." Doc called to his son, wife and cryptid pets. Fisk, Zak, Drew and Komodo emerged from the elevator.

The family cautiously listened and looked around the hallway before advancing toward the holding cells. But Komodo lingered near the elevator, his tongue slinking in and out of his mouth. He had caught the scent of the intruders. Zak noticed that the big lizard was lagging behind.

"Komodo! C'mon! We gotta see if Géva's all right!" But then the eleven-year-old saw how Komodo was circling and growling, his tongue going crazy as he tasted the air. "Guys! Komodo smells something!"

Just then, something big dropped from the ceiling, landing behind Komodo. Zak and his family immediately recognized who it was.

"Munya and Argost!" The preteen gasped at seeing the half-human/half-spider villain and V.V. Argost in his house. Surprise, surprise.

Obviously the pasty-faced man hadn't accepted his defeat. It was just like a villain to hit with a cheap shot by attacking in the middle of the night. But this was sloppy; sloppy, for Argost and now he was about to receive the full wrath of the Saturday family.

Then Zak saw a big web wad in Munya's creepy clutches and it was slightly writhing.

The big genetically-altered man let Argost drop from his shoulder before he hurled the huge ball of web into the elevator. It wasn't until Zak heard the wad of web yelp in pain as it met the elevator wall that he knew it was Géva.

"Géva!" The eleven-year-old cried watching the Beast of Gévaudan writhe in its prison of web.

Komodo snarled at the two villains. But then Munya seized the two-hundred and fifty pound cryptid lizard by the muzzle and hurled it down the hall at the rest of the Saturdays. Zak fell to the floor as Komodo flew through the air above him and creamed his family. Getting to his feet he caught Argost and Munya calmly step into the elevator. Gritting his teeth, Zak Saturday ran for the elevator aiming the Claw toward the two villains.

He only caught a smug yet twisted expression on Argost's face before the elevator doors shut. Zak nearly smacked face-first into the metal doors as he skidded to a stop. When he closed his eyes, he could still see Argost's ghostly face just before the elevator doors shut.

"Shoot!" The eleven-year-old snarled, kicking the metal door as the elevator flew up the shaft. Zak then stepped back and watched the number of floors Argost and Munya traveled.

He saw it stop on the top level.

"They're going to the kitchen?" He muttered to himself before his eyes grew wide. "The launch pad! Guys! Argost is heading to the launch pad with Géva!"

Zak turned and saw Doc and Fisk peel Komodo off of Drew, Doyle and themselves.

"Get up! Argost's on his way to the launch pad with Géva!" The eleven-year-old ran to his family and grabbed Fisk by his hand. Leading the seven-foot-tall gorilla-cat to the elevator.

The preteen feverishly pressed the elevator button as the rest of his family joined him.

"Is Argost always this persistent?" Doyle held his head, since he'd gotten one of Komodo's stinky feet his face. Drew made a fist around her Fire Sword.

"Oh, yeah." The woman nodded before she gave a nervous sneer. "But he's never attacked us here at home before."

Doc smirked.

"He'll never make it to the launch pad by the time we catch up and make him wish he never busted in on us." The tall black man glowered at the elevator. The elevator had stopped on the first floor before making its decent back down to the holding cell level and Doc looked over his family. "This is real everyone. By Argost attacking us here at home shows that he's either very desperate or even more sick-minded than we once thought. Either way, he means business. Stick together and no crazy solo stunts."

Then the man noticed his eleven-year-old son paid no attention to his words as he was still pressing the elevator button.

"Zak!" Doc barked at his boy. Fisk tapped the preteen on the shoulder and finally snapped him out of his trance.

"Wha-?" Zak blinked at the gorilla-cat.

"Domusur." Fiskerton murmured nervously as he pointed at Doc. The eleven-year-old looked to his dad.

"Sorry. Was someone saying something?" Zak questioned innocently. Doc, Drew, Doyle, Fisk and Komodo groaned.

Doc face-palmed.

"NO stupid solo stunts! Argost is far too powerful and pitiless. He won't shed a tear if any of us get seriously injured tonight." He crossed his arms at Zak. The eleven-year-old frowned.

"HE'S going to be the one leaving here with a limp!" Zak whirled around and started excitedly pressing the elevator button. "He has Géva and I'm _not_ going to let him get away with this!"

Just then the elevator door opened. Zak jumped in and motioned for his family to follow quickly. The Saturday family rushed into the elevator as the doors closed.

When the elevator came out onto the top floor, the Saturdays found themselves in the kitchen. The room was just as they left it, quiet and dark; only the moon shining in the windows gave depth to the darkness and shapes to the shadows. Again, Doc and Doyle were the first to ease out of the elevator, Power Glove and wrist-launcher at the ready. Doc moved quietly over to the left and to the light switch. Flicking it, light shone through the kitchen, showing no Argost and nothing disturbed.

"Let's go." Doc motioned for his family to follow. Doyle, Zak and Komodo zipped after the man.

Drew had her eyes cast to the handheld device, trying to get the lights back online as Fisk guided her. Then the lights of the upper level, launching pad and the perimeter flickered back on.

"Got it!" Drew called to her husband.

"Nice going Drew!" Doc returned as Drew and Fisk ran to catch them. Bursting through the living room, they still couldn't see Munya, Argost of Géva.

Zak growled.

"Fisk! Let's get to the roof!" The eleven-year-old called to his best friend pointing at the nearest window. The gorilla-cat nodded and grabbed him.

Without their parents' permission both boy and Fiskerton Phantom darted over the sofa and out a window.

"HEY! Get BACK here!" Doc snarled at his son and Fisk. Nothing.

Growling, Doc, Doyle, Drew and a camouflaged Komodo made for the stairs. Did the eleven-year-old and gorilla-cat EVER listen?!

With Zak in tow, Fisk pulled himself and the preteen up to the launch pad. Letting the boy to his feet, they suddenly heard Zon going nuts just above the launch pad. Looking into the night sky as they ascended the short flight of stairs to the airship arrival zone, they saw Argost and Munya with Géva still in their grasps. Zon was doing a great job of annoying them by her constant dive attacks.

"Munya! Shoot that thing down this instant!" Argost growled at his manservant, finally fed up with the female Ornithocheirous and her squawking. Munya dropped the web wad that held Géva and obeyed his master's orders.

Munya watched Zon carefully until she dived again. This time, he took aim with a web and fired. The sticky web struck her, pinning her wings to her sides and dropping her out of flight. The teal Ornithocheirous hit the launch pad hard but continued to tumble toward the edge of the building.

"Zon!" Zak and Fisk gasped, but only Fisk had enough sense to act. The seven-foot-tall gorilla-cat jumped and ran to catch Zon before she tumbled off the side of the building.

The female Ornithocheirous rolled and fell off the building but not without the Fiskerton Phantom diving after her. Zak breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Fisk dive after Zon. He didn't know if he caught her but at least she wouldn't hit the ground with him chasing after her. The eleven-year-old turned his attention to Munya and Argost.

Zak was so angry, he couldn't yell. Instead he aimed his Claw at Argost and fired. Munya jumped in front of Argost and the weapon. The powerful Claw hit the genetically-altered man in the chest and rocketed him off of his feet. Munya hit Argost and both went tumbling. As the Claw recoiled, Zak rushed over to Géva.

"Géva! Géva, are you all right?!" The web ball writhed and growled. Zak brought his Claw's sharp talons to the web and started slashing at the beast's bonds.

Finally Géva's front left paw tore out of the shredding web.

"C'mon Géva! You gotta help me get you out of this!" The eleven-year-old cut the layers and layers of strong, sticky web to save his friend. Just when he could see Géva's nose, someone grabbed him from behind.

Turned in his attacker's grasp, he was now looking into Munya's crimson, slitted eyes. Zak's own eyes widened before he brought the Claw to the man's ugly face. With one of his other hand, Munya grabbed the weapon and yanked it out of the boy's hands. When the boy was disarmed, Argost walked out from behind his henchman.

"Such a fistful of troubles, young Saturday." The ghostly man stated calmly. "Is this _any_ way to treat a houseguest?"

Zak kicked Munya in the stomach but the man did not budge.

"A bad time to come barging in on my family, Argost!" The preteen spat. "It's not even Halloween! Besides, we don't have any candy!"

Argost gave a laugh at the boy's insult.

"Ah… but you do have treats." The man gestured at the bound Beast of Gévaudan. "So here's one of my tricks for your treat."

The man reached into his endless cloak and retrieved a marble-sized container of Mongolian Death Worm venom. He brought it to the boy's face.

"One little drop on your unruly hair will hollow out your head." Argost glowered at the boy. Zak's eyes went wide and he thrashed.

Argost lashed out and grabbed the eleven-year-old's hands while two of Munya's extra spider legs seized Zak's flailing feet. The preteen was immobilized and he could only watch as Argost brought his hand above his head and gave the marble-sized container of deadly, acidic venom a squeeze.

Just then something unseen clamped down on Argost's ankle. The deathly pale man yelped at the pain and dropped the Mongolian Death Worm venom. The small canister fell to the ground and splattered, making Munya jump back. Zak knew who his savor was.

"I owe you a BIG steak Komodo!" The preteen brought both of his freed feet together and gave Munya a double kick to his chin. The big genetically-altered man reeled with the blow, dropping Zak.

While Argost fought with the invisible komodo dragon, Zak had his hands full with Munya. He was in a tug of war with the big half-cryptid-spider/half-man, trying to get his Claw back from him. Munya was winning over Zak, obviously, but then the cavalry arrived.

Something whistled through the air and struck Munya on the back. The big genetically-altered man stumbled forward, nearly flattening Zak. The eleven-year-old jumped out of the way as Munya fell on his face. The boy turned and saw his parents and uncle running toward him, Doyle's wrist-launcher smoking from firing a mini rocket.

Doc tackled Argost as Komodo finally released the madman's foot. Drew and Doyle ran toward Munya as he was just getting up and planted their feet into his side. Zak and Komodo rushed to Géva's side and started to work on getting the monster dog-like cryptid out of the sticky web. Zon with Fisk hanging onto her feet finally rose into the sky and both female Ornithocheirous and gorilla-cat joined the battle.

Meanwhile, in a different building Van Rook was working on cutting his way through the layers and layers of security as he fought to get his hands on the Kur Stone. So far, the Russian mercenary was through the first three steel-plated doors and he was working on the last. With a super-hot, super-fast metal cutter, that he invented, he was soon through that door. As the cut metal clanked to the floor, Van Rook saw the Kur Stone under a glass case. He growled. Knowing Doc, this glass was probably wired with sensor alarms. The merc's patience had run completely out. Bringing up his right arm, he aimed his wrist-weapon at the case and fired on single shot. The glass shattered and the alarm screamed. Grabbing the old stone from its pedestal, Van Rook made a casual walk for the exit.

Doc heard the handheld monitor hanging from his hip chirp. Locked in a fight with Argost, the tall black man could only listen to it chirp.

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R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!


	9. The Guardian of The Secret Stone

Ohayho everyone! CJzilla here with another update! Sorry it's been about nine days but I had to get this perfect. In this chapter the Saturday's find out Argost's true reason for wanting the Beast of Gévaudan and the beast shows what secrets it hides. Enjoy.

As I trample this city, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Love... hate... review.

_slipnot321: Thanks for R&Ring!_

_Amaris Solbes de la Vega: No one's getting away. Sorry for the wait Vega._

_Dragonscall: Thank you._

_Sangheili Warrior Girl: Yep. They should have._

_Bookworm1994: Thank you for the tremendous compliment! Here's another update._

_crystalshake: Thanks. Unfortunately Kur and the Beast of Gévaudan go hand in hand._

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Chapter 9

_The Guardian of the Secret Stone And The Secret Stone of The Guardian_

Doc had his hands locked with Argost and both found themselves in a stalemate. The tall black man strained under the villain's strength. Every time Doc found himself fighting with Argost, he couldn't help but be impressed with the madman's fighting skills and brute force.

"In case you haven't figured it out yet, Argost…" Doc strained slightly. "You are _not_ welcome in my home."

The chalk-faced villain merely smiled at the taller man.

"Like I've _ever_ let my popularity with you people dictate where and when I cause trouble." Was Argost's eloquent reply. Doc gritted his teeth as he blocked the man's foot from taking his balance.

"I'll ask you one last time, Argost; tell me what you want with the Beast of Gévaudan!" He swiped at Argost's ankles with his foot. "That cryptid is nothing but a man-eating pain in the rear! Why do you want it so bad?!"

Argost was observing Doc's struggle with twisted interest. To the Weirdworld maniac, his plan was devilishly simple and it entertained him to see that his enemies were oblivious to it.

"Has the history of the la bête du Gévaudan made you biased?" Argost's smirk never left his face. "That shows how short-sighted you are. Even the most ferocious cryptid can be as an unrefined diamond, just waiting to show its true colors."

Just then Doc felt something crawl from Argost's hand to his. When he jerked his eyes from the madman he was wrestling with to his left hand, he saw a centipede-like cryptid crawl out from under Argost's cloak and onto him. In an instant, the Devonian annelid dug its pincher-like fangs into his wrist. Doc let out a grunt of surprise and jumped away from Argost. Not even a second after he released Argost, Doc's world began to get fuzzy. The bright stars that hung in the sky were now swirling together and the battlefield lost its noise. Then, like a hammer coming down on a nail, complete darkness came.

Drew heard Argost give a maniacal laugh. Whirling around, the woman looked over to Argost, leaving Munya to wrestle with Doyle. Drew saw Argost standing over Doc and one of his Devonian annelids slither off of her husband's wrist.

"Doc!" Drew cried rushing toward her husband and Argost.

Argost turned and in that second had to dodge a razor-sharp sword aimed to strike a killing blow. The madman stumbled slightly before he had Drew's double-edged Fire Sword pointed at his face. Argost looked past the weapon and held in an impressed chuckle as he saw the rage in the woman's eyes as she stood protectively over her husband. Lifting her heel, she squished the essence-draining centipede cryptid under her foot.

"You leave… in pieces!" Drew snarled. "And that will teach you to come to my house EVER AGAIN!"

Argost took a step back only to have the woman advance on him.

"You flatter me with the infamous Saturday hospitality, dear lady." The man put a hand to his chest, showing that he was truly touched. His little joke only angered Drew further.

The woman snarled in anger before she charged at him, swinging her sword to take off his head.

Meanwhile with Doyle and Munya, the much smaller red head was hanging onto Munya's neck. Doyle shivered as Munya's extra spider legs were trying to get a hold on him as he hung behind the big, genetically-altered man.

"Where does he find these CREEPS?!" The ex-merc called out as Munya busted the rope and weights tied around his wrists. Reaching up the half-spider/half-man snatched Doyle by the head and slammed him into the ground.

Instantly the red head was unconscious. Munya released the smaller man and stood. Snorting slightly, he turned to see how Argost was fairing. When Munya saw his boss was dodging the sword of Drew Saturday, he moved over to help him.

Zak, Fisk and Komodo wrestled with Munya's gooey web that encased Géva. The genetically-altered Komodo dragon's mouth was gummed up with the sticky web as it was wadding up Fisk's fur. The gorilla-cat groaned.

"_Sticki_surmur!" The Fiskerton Phantom flicked his wrists, trying to shake the web off of his hands. Komodo mumbled his complaint but couldn't say much because his mouth was glued together.

Zak grunted; there seemed to be no end to the layers and layers of web covering Géva.

"I know this stuff's insanely sticky but we have to get Géva out of here or Argost's gonna take-!" Then Zak heard a rocket-pack. Jerking their heads up Zak, Fisk, Komodo and Zon saw Van Rook soar through the air and land on the landing pad.

The eleven-year-old and his cryptids gasped as their mouths fell slack.

"You-… You're alive!" Zak spat out, part of him happy to see that the fierce mercenary was still alive and the other part stunned to see him here. Van Rook looked at the boy and the cryptids.

"Thanks to you, kid." The tall Russian man gave a salute to the preteen.

Then their eyes were taken off of each other and saw Drew swiping her Fire Sword at Munya and Argost. The woman was so busy fighting with the two other villains that she stumbled backwards and into Van Rook's arms. The big merc held Drew's arms to her waist and her grip on the Fire Sword broken. As the powerful weapon clanked to the ground Van Rook chuckled in the woman's ear.

"I remember that little negligee, Drew." Drew's face fell to shock and Van Rook relished the look of surprise on her face. "Ah… it brings back such memories."

Zak, Fisk, Zon, Komodo and even Argost shivered at _that_ visual.

"Aw-…! SICK!" The eleven-year-old gagged before ralfing off to the side. Fisk held his mouth and Komodo shook his head as Van Rook laughed.

Argost cleared his throat.

"Though I dabble in many weird and incomprehensible things, I didn't need to know that, Van Rook." The madman narrowed his eyes in disgust before he eyed the mercenary. "Did you complete your half of the plan?"

Van Rook nodded as Drew kicked in his arms.

"Why you slimy, no-good_mff_-!" Before Drew could spit out any more inappropriate words, Munya shot another web and it covered her mouth and arms. Van Rook threw her down and Munya finished gumming her to the ground.

"Mom!" Zak called out rushing to his mother's side. Van Rook grabbed the boy by the back of the shirt and cranked the preteen's arm behind his back, taking the Claw out of the boy's other hand.

As soon as Zak was disarmed, Van Rook dropped the eleven-year-old. Zak spun and glared the man down, eyeing his Hand of Tsul'Kalu in the merc's grasp.

"Well?! Where is it, Van Rook?!" Argost's patience was up as he took a threatening step toward the mercenary. The big Russian man sighed and dug into his backpack.

Zak's eyes widened when he saw something wrapped in a brown cloth in Van Rook's hand. It was the Kur Stone!

"Here's your precious paperweight." Van Rook growled. The eleven-year-old gasped.

"Kur! Fisk! Komodo! He's got Kur!" Zak called out to his cryptid "brothers". The Fiskerton Phantom and komodo dragon growled and jumped toward the adults.

Munya caught the gorilla-cat movements from the side of his crimson, slitted eyes. The genetically-altered man turned and aimed to shoot a web at Fisk when Zon dropped from the air. Argost snarled when he saw his manservant taken to the ground by the annoying female Ornithocheirous. Catching the Fiskerton Phantom out of the corner of his eye, the white-faced madman lunged forward to intercept Fisk. Then he too was knocked to the ground but by something insanely heavy. Arogost fell on his face, a mass probably weighing two-hundred and fifty pounds sprawled out on his back and keeping him to the ground. Komodo became visible and calmly sat on Argost's back, making sure he couldn't get up.

Van Rook gripped Zak's Claw in one hand and held the Kur Stone like a football in the other. The Russian mercenary saw the lanky but super-strong Fiskerton Phantom running at him; he had no free hands to defend himself or stop the cryptid from attacking. Fisk tackled Van Rook and the Kur Stone squirted out of the man's hand. Zak saw the old rock tumble to the ground and he raced to get a hold on it.

Argost saw the Saturday boy chase the Kur Stone as it rolled. Growling in anger, he still couldn't move since the vexing komodo dragon was sitting on him. Argost heard the lizard laugh at him as he struggled to get up. Just then, the teal Ornithocheirous was thrown through the air and hit the komodo dragon. Both Zon and Komodo went tumbling to the side as Argost got to his feet. The chalk-faced madman set his sights on the young boy as Munya stalked after the cold-blooded cryptids.

Zak dove for Kur and caught it. The eleven-year-old coughed and groaned since he hade to dive onto the big stone to catch it. Sitting up, the preteen held his ribcage as he checked over the precious stone. Zak had his back to the action and didn't see Argost run at him. The man made a fist and drove it into the boy's back. Dazed by the rock-hard stroke on his back, Zak felt Kur tumble out of his hands as he was picked up and thrown. The eleven-year-old came to a rude stop on the ground but managed to roll to his knees. Zak heaved and he found he couldn't breathe; the air was knocked clean out of him. Looking up, he saw Argost pluck the Kur Stone from the ground.

Kur had been out of the madman's clutches for so long! Arogost held the ancient stone like it was the last glass of water in a desert. Once again, the map to world domination was in his grasp. Argost clutched the stone to his chest before letting out a loud evil laugh.

Zak cursed inwardly since he didn't have the breath to do so out-loud. Beyond him dad was unconscious, mom was stuck to the ground by Munya's web and Uncle Doyle was knocked out. Fisk had his hands full with Van Rook while Komodo and Zon were doing their best to fight Munya. Zak was alone to face down the villain and his stone.

"A valiant effort, my dear boy." The eleven-year-old heard Argost say to him. Zak brought his eyes back up to the man and saw him walking toward him. "But sadly, it was an effort nonetheless. No amount of steel walls, security devices or _effort_ can keep me from what I want."

Zak coughed as Argost stood in front of him.

"You and your family have interfered with my plans for world conquest for the last time, young Saturday." The madman eyed the boy with an impressed hatred before he flicked his wrist and another tiny container of Mongolian Death Worm venom. "Any last words, boy?"

The eleven-year-old looked up at Argost and narrowed his dark eyes.

"Yeah." Zak croaked out. "_Geva_!"

As those words left his mouth, the Beast of Gévaudan jumped over the boy and landed in front of Argost. The madman stepped back as he saw the dangerous cryptid was free of Munya's web case. Géva shook off the web still dangling from its fur and mouth before it eyed the wicked man before it. Then the monstrous dog-like cryptid stood in front of Zak and growled its animosity. Turning, Géva saw Zak struggle to stand.

"Good doggie." The eleven-year-old grinned at the beast, stroking its mane. Then Zak shot Argost a satanic smirk that made the madman's eyes go wide. "Sic 'im."

With a bellow, the Beast of Gévaudan rocketed for the Argost. The pale villain didn't have time to move, just grunt in surprise as he was flattened by the monster cryptid.

Just then Zak heard Fisk fly through the air. The gorilla-cat landed less gracefully than usual and took a moment to shake the stars out of his head. Van Rook got to his feet, grunting in pain as his injuries throbbed from under his mask. Seeing the Fiskerton Phantom taking a moment to catch its breath, the Russian merc pointed his wrist launcher at the cryptid. As his crosshairs settled of Fisk, something else caught his eye. Van Rook's glance fell to the unconscious form of his ex-apprentice.

To Zak's horror, Van Rook made his way over to his knocked out uncle.

"Hey! Leave him ALONE!" The eleven-year-old jumped to his feet. The mercenary didn't stop.

"I may owe you one, kid, but this little traitor owes me." Van Rook growled over his shoulder walking up to Doyle. Grabbing the unconscious man by the front of the shirt, the mercenary slapped Doyle.

The red head was jolted from his unconsciousness only to look at Van Rook's mask.

"Good morning sunshine." Van Rook hissed, pulling Doyle closer. Doyle blinked, not sure what he was seeing.

Then he saw the flash of the metal of a knife in his ex-mercenary master's hand. He flinched, waiting for Van Rook to burry it into his chest. But instead there were jerks on his shoulders before his jetpack fell to the ground behind him.

"I want you to see the ground coming before you splatter on it." Van Rook growled. Doyle's eyes went wide.

Zak saw the Claw lying off to the side. The eleven-year-old scooped it off of the ground and made a break to come to his uncle's side. He aimed the Claw at Van Rook but in the same second he fired it, the mercenary jumped and flew upwards. The Claw grabbed thin air. Zak gasped as he watched Van Rook fly up into the sky with his uncle.

"Zon!" The eleven-year-old called over to the female Ornithocheirous. Zon looked up from her fight with Munya to her little master's call. "Zon! Doyle! Get Uncle Doyle!"

Doyle felt the air get colder as Van Rook climbed. He heard nothing but the roar of the mercenary's jet pack and thumping of his own heart in his ears. Doyle saw the house get tinnier and his feet dangle in the air. Then suddenly Van Rook stopped his climb.

"I've been waiting to do this for a while now." Doyle heard Van Rook's voice in his ear. "NEVER double-cross me. I bet you're sorry you didn't stick around long enough learn that huh, _apprentice_?"

With that Van Rook released Doyle's jacket and the red head found himself falling to the ground.

Doyle's mind raced for options.

He had no jetpack, no way to slow his fall and no way to save his life. Under him, he saw nothing but blackness; probably because he was now free falling over the dark Pacific Ocean. It seemed as if this was Doyle's last life. The red head held his breath, bracing for impact on the cold, dark ocean. Just then, Doyle felt something latch onto his wrists before he heard the flapping of wings in the wind above him. Though he couldn't see her or hear her, the red head knew Zon had grabbed him.

The female Ornithocheirous caught up to the man as he was falling. Gradually opening her scaly wings, she acted like a parachute, slowing their fall to where she could fly without injury. Finally Zon fully opened her wings. Now gliding, they could clearly hear the roar of the waves on the rocky cliffs below their home.

"Good birdie! Good, good, _GOOD_ birdie!" Doyle called up to Zon as they coasted over the water. The teal, female Ornithocheirous squawked her reply. "You are now my _favorite_!"

Just then an ammunition round whistled through the air and struck the water with a loud slap. Obviously Van Rook was determined to make this ex-apprentice pay. Weaponry shots peppered the water and air around Doyle and Zon. Large rounds of bullets whizzed through the air, their high-pitched whistles extinguished when they hit the salt water.

"_Go_ birdie! **GO**!" Doyle urged the female Ornithocheirous. Zon grunted and began weaving, dodging Van Rook's weaponry fire.

Back up on the landing pad Zak was trying to get his father back to consciousness as Fisk were trying to get Drew unstuck from her web bonds. As he rolled Doc to his back, the eleven-year-old boy stole glances at Munya and Komodo and Géva and Argost.

Komodo was invisible which gave him an edge on Munya. The big genetically-altered man spat webs around his feet, hoping to stick the pesky lizard to the ground. Zak smirked; Komodo one, Munya zip.

"Dad!" The preteen patted his dad's face. The man was out cold, since he'd gotten some of his essence stolen from one of Argost's Devonian annelids. "Dad! Wake up! We could really use your help to kick Argost and Munya outta here!"

Doc's eyes fluttered open. His vision swirled and everything he heard was grabbled by his hazy mind.

"Dad?" The man heard his son call to him. Blinking, some of Doc's vertigo lifted enough to let him see his son looking down at him.

"Zak?" His mind still fogged with intense fatigue. Doc was obviously floating between the conscious world and unconsciousness. "Z-Zak-… W-what's going on?"

The eleven-year-old boy wiped his brow.

"Dad! You gotta get up! Van Rook took Doyle, Komodo's fighting with Munya and Géva's facing down Argost!" Then Doc saw his boy's eyes get wide. "Dad… Argost has the Kur Stone!"

Should have seen _THAT_ coming. Doc's features twisted with anger and fear, but his strength had not yet returned.

"I-I can't… not yet." The man tried to but he felt like his limbs were encased in cement. "Do your best, Zak."

Just then they heard Doyle yell above their heads. Craning their eyes upwards they saw the red head now being carried by Zon by his feet as he and the Ornithocheirous were being pursued by Van Rook. The mercenary, ex-mercenary and female Ornithocheirous then zipped out of sight, to the southern wing of the complex. Zak shook his head; at least now he knew Zon caught his uncle.

"Okay, dad. Hang tight." The eleven-year-old looked down at his semi-conscious father. Getting to his feet, Zak held his Hand of Tsul'Kalu.

But just as he rose to his feet, he spotted Argost and Géva's duel. Argost had gotten his hands on mom's Fire Sword and was defending himself against the attacking Beast of Gévaudan. The huge dog-like cryptid lunged at the man, trying to wrap its teeth around him. With one hand clutching the Kur Stone and the other griping the special sword, Argost was doing all he could to keep the man-eating cryptid from taking him to the ground. If the beast got opportunity to knock the madman to his back, there would be no way to recover quick enough without getting his throat torn out. Cryptids were Argost's obsession in life though not his purpose, but now that he had the Cryptid Kur and the Beast of Gévaudan together, his life-long goal to rule the earth was only at his fingertips. But he knew that the Beast of Gévaudan MUST be defeated before it would share its secret with the world.

As the beast nipped at him, baring its fearsome white teeth, it got too close and a window was opened to Argost. The madman raised the sword before driving the weapon into the beast's chest.

"GÉVA!" Zak cried. Suddenly the battlefield fell dead silent.

Everyone froze, holding their breath as they watched the mighty Beast of Gévaudan receive a death blow.

Géva froze where it stood before stumbling back, trying to get away from Argost. Argost released his hold on the Fire Sword and watched the dying animal with a straight face. The cryptid panted heavily, now laboring through every breath it took. The beast growled and brought a paw up to dislodge the blade from its chest. One paw off of the ground was all it took. Géva lost its balance, staggering violently before falling on its side. The monstrous dog/wolf-like cryptid couldn't bring itself back to its feet. Lifting its head off of the ground for one last time, Géva let out a wet bellow. With its last breath, the beast's head fell to the ground where its eyes closed and it moved no more.

Zak's dropped his Claw and ran to Géva's side. Falling to his knees, the boy stretched out his hand to touch the beast but couldn't bring himself to.

"G-Géva… No, Géva." The eleven-year-old hushed, eyes wide and face pale as he saw his friend's chest no longer move with breath. Zak took in a shaky breath, the shock of Géva's death hitting his young mind and heart like a red-hot dagger.

The preteen heard Argost's shoes on the ground but he didn't bother looking up as he held his eyes to his lifeless cryptid friend.

"And thus, the beast is defeated." The chalk-faced madman voiced before he saw Zak bow his head in grief. Scoffing angrily, Argost rolled his eyes. "Stop your sniveling. La bête du Gévaudan has not yet revealed its secret."

Zak looked up at the madman, his dark eyes sharp with a devastated anger. Hopping to his feet, the eleven-year-old was angry enough to punch the man's face in.

"You _heartless_-!" WHACK! Zak stumbled backwards, holding his cheek were Argost had slapped him.

The eleven-year-old held his face, stunned that Argost had just slapped him. Bringing his eyes back to the madman, he saw a new fire in the man's evil eyes. The pale-faced megalomaniac glared at the boy.

"Enough of your drama and sickeningly virtuous love for cryptids!" Argost barked. Then he gave an easy smile. "You'll miss the best part."

Suddenly there was a glow that lit up Argost's white face. Zak snapped his eyes to Géva's motionless body. The Beast of Gévaudan's corpse began glowing, shining with a yellow incandescence. The light grew so bright that it stung the preteen's eyes and he fell to the ground. The dark night was suddenly lit just like daytime for a split second before the beam died down. Zak took his hand from over his eyes and looked back to Géva's lifeless body. To his utter surprise, the dog-like form of the Beast of Gévaudan was no longer seen. Instead, there was a red, smoking stone lying beside the Fire Sword.

Argost chuckled and eyed the smoking stone.

""Le gardien de la pierre secrète et la pierre secrète du gardien"." The madman smirked before he locked eyes with Zak. "Do you know what that means, young Saturday?"

Zak was still dazed as he managed to shake his head.

"Translated it means: "The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian"." Argost answered then he got a smug look on his face. "I doubt you've gotten this far."

""The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian"; yeah, I know. Géva told me." A shadow of hatred clouded the boy's face as he glared at the villain and stood again. "Géva told me that it was a guardian to the secret stone and that the secret stone is… the secret stone of the guardian."

Argost chuckled with a dark amusement.

"See? I can tell your feeble little mind nearly short circuited at la bête du Gévaudan's riddle." The pale megalomaniac grinned. Zak gritted his teeth.

"I know that it has something to do with Kur!" The eleven-year-old barked.

"That much is true, but only partially." Argost gave a conniving smirk. "You see… Beast of Gévaudan and the secret stone are one and the same. Quite a cleaver adaptation for something so valuable. Tell me, dear boy, did you ever notice that la bête du Gévaudan could never bleed?"

Zak said nothing but glared.

"It could never bleed because it's not a true living being." Argost pointed out. "The secret stone took on the la bête du Gévaudan's form to protect itself… from people like me. That's why it was killing and why it could never be tamed."

The madman then smiled as he saw the boy's eyes twinkling with a repressed question.

"Why? Why did you kill my _friend_?" Zak growled, making fists with his hands. Argost sighed.

"_Defeated_; I defeated the beast." The man corrected. "And I had to, to expose la bête du Gévaudan as what it truly was inside. You see, back in 1764, when the beast was first defeated, I suspect that the French peasants were flabbergasted when the monster turned into a stone. Scared and superstitious, they likely buried the secret stone. Up until now, la bête du Gévaudan has been in a slumber, awaiting its next chance to kill."

"But why? Why attack my family?!" Zak stomped his foot. Argost remained cool and sinister.

"I asked Van Rook to only make it seem like he was to capture la bête du Gévaudan, only to wet your family's palate." He smiled. "If your family knew I wanted it, you would want it more. My visit while still on French soil was to drive home that point. I needed to get the beast and Kur in the same place and your family did all that work for me."

Zak narrowed his eyes further as Argost laughed at him and plucked the red stone from the ground.

"Do you even know what the secret of the secret stone of the Beast of Gévaudan is?" The pale villain questioned, a sinister glint in his eyes. Zak's lips tightened together, showing he didn't know and that made Argost chuckle. "The Beast of Gévaudan is a translator for Kur; another key to getting my little hands on absolute power."

The boy's eyes widened.

"I've followed the map all over the world, collecting clues just as your family has. But this is as far as anyone can go without the aid of la bête du Gévaudan." Argost stated as he glanced down at the Kur Stone in his left hand. The cloth covering the Kur Stone dropped off of it. "So I have to thank you and your family, young Saturday, for presenting me with Kur and la bête du Gévaudan in such an efficient manner. World domination is this much closer for me."

The madman looked between the two stones and quirked a brow. He wasn't sure exactly HOW the Gévaudan Beast stone was supposed to translate Kur, so with this part of his plan he was winging it. Argost brought both stones close together. Just an inch apart, the mystical stones interacted. Argost was blown off of his feet by an explosion from the two rocks. Zak, Munya, Fisk and Komodo were knocked to their backs as an extremely bright beam lit the night.

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R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL!


	10. Through The Fire

Ohayo everyone! CJzilla here with the final update to "The Beast of Gévaudan". Sad? Don't be. You'll see more of my works floating around the Secret Saturdays archive. Now in this final chapter you'll see how everything wraps up and gives way to a sequal. Enjoy.

As I smash this city under my claws, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Love... Hate... Review.

_TheMarySueMurderer: Thanks for R&Ring. Here's one last update. BTW... love the pen name._

_Sangheili Warrior Girl: Well, Geva's death was kinda needed. The Beast of Gévaudan is too much of an unpredictable powerhouse to be a family pet. As an author it is my duty to make the readers feel just what the character's feel but I am sorry you kinda cried._

_slipnot321: Here's the next and last chapter. Enjoy._

_crystalshake: Thanks for being such a loyal reviewer. Your comments were enlightening._

_she-bang-fan: I was laughing my head off... writing about Doyle's Ornithocheirous flight._

_Bookworm1994: Bummer. I like cookies. Especially the ones with chocolate chips, nuts, jelly beans, gummy worms and raisins... inside of another cookie. Thanks for R&Ring. You gave me lots of inspiration._

_KaliAnn: Here's the last chapter. I hope it entertains you and wets your palate for the incoming sequal._

_Dragonscall: I am honored by your reviews Dragonscall. Here is the final chapter and I hope I do not disappoint. Thanks for reviewing. _

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Chapter 10

_Through The Fire_

Zak felt like he'd been hit in the brain by a hammer; that explosion of light rattled his mind. The eleven-year-old boy found himself on his stomach, the side of his face resting on the cool ground. The intense blast of light from the Kur Stone and Gévaudan Beast's secret stone created spots that danced around his vision. Opening his eyes, Zak blinked hard trying to get his sight clear. Then he realized that the shining light was not going away. His cryptid powers glowed and shone in his eyes. Sitting up, his attention came to Kur and the secret stone of the Beast of Gévaudan. Both mystical rocks were spinning together, their friction making a bright orange glow that lit up the night. Zak felt a pull from the dancing magical cryptid stones reach into his body and connect with his heart and mind. Then once again he heard Géva's voice in his mind.

_The guardian of the secret stone and the secret stone of the guardian._

Zak suddenly found himself on his feet as he heard garbled riddles and complex utterances being whispered to him. He heard Géva's soft voice before the din of a thousand voices closed over it. The noise grew so loud in the boy's mind he felt like the deafening clamor would explode out of his ears. Zak watched the two mystical stones spin and shine brightly until, with one last wave of concentrated light, their energy faded. As the stone fell to the ground, the eleven-year-old felt his head again. Dropping to his knees, Zak felt his head swimming and slightly numbed by the incoherent voices once bombarding his mind.

The darkness and stillness of the night fell over the building.

Zak sat there, feeling his head spin and stomach lurch when he heard Argost's angry voice.

"W-What?!" Zak lifted his head to see Argost standing over the smoking remains of Kur and the secret stone of the Beast of Gévaudan. Reaching down, the madman grasped the rock only to yelp and yank his hands away because of how hot it was. "N-No! Where's-… where is the translation?! There are now _new_ symbols on Kur!"

Getting to his feet, Zak willed his stomach to stay calm and his to head clear. Argost was too busy fretting over the new symbols covering the single Kur Stone to acknowledge that the preteen was on his feet. Frowning at Argost, Zak stanced to charge at him.

"Zak!" He heard his father call his name. Spinning, he saw Doc yank off his Power Glove and throw it to him.

The eleven-year-old caught the glove and threw it on his right hand. Immediately the powerful weapon roared to life and closed around his smaller hand. Zak gave a wicked half-smile as he rushed toward Argost. The madman was still pouring over the Kur Stone and didn't notice Zak until it was too late.

The boy with the wild black and white hair formed a fist under the Power Glove. Extending his right arm, Zak cuffed Argost right across his pale face. Instantly the man was blown off of his feet, into the air and into unconsciousness.

"That's… for Géva." The eleven-year-old growled as he watched how far his super-punch launched Argost. The rag-doll villain flew high and over the side of the building.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zak saw Munya run after his master. Scrambling to catch Argost before he fell seven stories to the ground, Munya shot a string of web. The web caught the villain by his ankle. The velocity of Argost's fall as well as his weight nearly dragged Munya over the side with him. The big genetically-altered man strained to keep his footing.

Munya stood there, his face jerked over the side of the building as he held his unconscious master by a string of web out of his mouth. The dude was a sitting duck.

"HEY!" Zak barked. Munya couldn't lift his head to look. "Don't let the door hit you on the way OUT!"

POW! Zak buried his dad's Power Glove into Munya's back. The genetically-altered man was rocketed off of the edge. Now he and Argost were free falling and since Munya's mouth was all ready full of web, he could do nothing to stop his fall. Just then a roar of a jetpack was heard before Van Rook swooped out of the sky and grabbed Munya. The Russian mercenary then made a hasty retreat for the safety outside of the Saturday's fortress.

Zak watched the villains flee as he let the Power Glove power down and slip off of his relaxed hand. This battle was over. Snorting in anger at what Argost had done to Géva, the eleven-year-old turned on his heel to inspect the Kur Stone. Indeed, the rock was still smoldering and would be too hot to touch for a while but Zak saw the carving and symbols had changed from his last glance at the mystical stone. Géva's secret stone definitely had an impact on Kur's greater, more powerful secret.

Standing over the newly transformed Kur Stone, Zak couldn't help but feel his heart dragged back to Géva's death. The dog-like cryptid died protecting him and battling with Argost. The preteen now knew why Beast of Gévaudan acted aggressively toward him in the garden; it was near Kur and its secret was in danger.

Just then he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up Zak saw Fisk, battle-worn and singed from fighting Van Rook. The seven-foot-tall gorilla-cat gave him a sympathetic yet triumphant smile.

"Gevalisurturm." Fisk voiced. Then the cryptid reached up to Zak's face and wiped his cheeks free of tears with his soft, furry hand.

The eleven-year-old boy managed a grin as more salty tears ran down his face and returned his eyes to the Kur Stone that had absorbed his friend.

Meanwhile, outside the Saturday perimeter, Van Rook dropped to the ground Munya before he too landed. The Russian mercenary's injuries throbbed and most of his ammunitions was spent. Groaning, Van Rook looked over at Munya, carefully holding unconscious Argost in his big arms.

"This was suicide, arachnid." The merc voiced holding his head. The big genetically-altered man said nothing, like usual, but gave Van Rook an agreeable nod.

Argost was out cold, his pale face now showing where the Saturday boy had struck him with that powerful glove. The villains had nothing to show for their break in but a bitter, fruitless defeat. Van Rook cut through the silence with a sigh.

"I'll be sure to add everything up and send Argost a bill." The Russian mercenary stated. "I charge extra for stupid errands."

The morning sun was a welcomed sight after such a sour night. Doc, Drew and Doyle were up early, like usual but feeling the fight in their bodies. Doyle was sporting several knots on his head from getting slammed into the ground by Munya, Doc still felt light-headed and fatigued from Argost's Devonian annelid and Drew's arms felt like pudding after swinging her sword over and over. But at least no one got hurt… well, save for the Beast of Gévaudan.

The three adults stood around a table holding the newly altered Kur Stone. Roughly three days of confusing occurrences and baffling riddles lie on the table and everything started to fall into place.

"I can make out these symbols; here and here." Drew pointed at two new symbols of the Kur map. ""Speak and listen" but both are in a mix of an early Roman and ancient Babylonian dialects. Heck, I can tell you that half of these new figures are of the earliest Egyptian I've ever seen."

"Any Summeric?" Doc questioned his wife. Drew took a moment to study the markings.

"Surprisingly… very little. It seems that a new puzzle has been opened to us." The white-haired woman stated. Doyle stood from sitting on a chair.

Groaning as he held his throbbing head, the red-head walked over to his sister and brother-in-law.

"I missed a lot while that Pteradon was flying me around. How did Kur get a new look?" Doyle questioned, looking at the old rock's new symbols and figures. Drew and Doc gave coy smiles.

"That part's kinda sketchy to us." Drew confessed. "I was glued to the ground by web while Doc was barely coming to after a Devonian annelid attack. We were going to ask Zak the same thing, since he had a front row seat to what happened."

The two parents exchanged sober looks.

"The Beast of Gévaudan perished last night and Zak's been taking its death pretty hard." Doc stated to his brother-in-law. "I doubt he slept any and so we don't want to wake him."

Just then the hydraulic doors hissed open and Zak, Zon, Fisk and Komodo walked into the room.

"Good morning." The eleven-year-old put on his best smile. But it was obvious; the boy hadn't slept at all last night.

"Morning… Zak." Doyle said pretty clumsily. Drew and Doc sighed as they walked up to their son.

"We're both really sorry for your loss, Zak. No one knew Argost could sink that low." Doc said to his boy. Then Drew hugged Zak.

"It will be all right, baby." The woman reassured. Zak gave a lopsided, depressed grin at his parents and uncle before the Kur Stone caught his eye.

Walking over to the stone, he put his hand on his and imagined he was stroking Géva's mane again.

"Argost told me that Géva and the secret stone were one and the same." The eleven-year-old stated. "So when Géva… died… it turned into this cool looking red stone. Then the stone was absorbed by Kur and gave us this new look!"

Then Zak laughed. Doc chuckled slightly at that.

"Well, we were not completely done with the original Kur. Thankfully, I was smart enough to upload photos and a 3D image of the Kur Stone before it got it new look. We need to scrutinize every inch of the Stone, past and present." Doc walked to the room's super computer and typed a few keys. A huge image of the original Kur Stone was indeed in the computer's data banks. "When you set together a puzzle, you first piece in the outline before you move on to the more complex images. We will find Kur, though we may be one step behind Argost."

Zak gave a wicked smirk, his old self gradually returning.

"Don't worry dad. Argost was completely surprised by the Stone's new look. HE'S a step behind US!" Then the eleven-year-old laughed. "You guys should have seen his face! He looked like he'd eaten the worst lemon in HISTORY! HA!"

Komodo walked up to the Kur Stone and growled at it. Fisk came up to the table and put his hand over the stone, Zon by his side.

"Gevamisun?" The gorilla-cat questioned pointing at the ancient rock. "Isumurbur?"

Then Fisk bared his teeth, growled and took a bite at Komodo, obviously mimicking the Beast of Gévaudan. Zak sighed.

"Argost told me that Géva would translate Kur but I guess he was wrong about that." He traced his finger tip along the new symbols decorating Kur. "Even though Géva is no longer an animal, I don't think Géva's truly gone. It's still alive, inside Kur. I promise I'll find and protect Kur… for Géva."

The room fell into a thoughtful silence before Doyle laughed.

"I wish I could have seen the look on that madman's pasty face." The red head voiced. "I'm just glad Zak kicked Argost's butt. That's a gene clearly seen on Drew's side of the family."

Doc shot his smirking brother-in-law a glare.

"That gene skipped your chromosomes, Doyle." The tall black man fire back. "Even as I was slightly unconscious, I did see and hear you scream like a baby. Van Rook and a little Pterosaur acrobatics too much for you?"

Doyle and Doc lunged at each other, making Drew jump between them.

"You should talk, Doc! YOU were taken out at the beginning of the battle!" The red-headed ex-mercenary barked back. "I'm seeing a pattern in your fighting style: NONEXISTENT!"

""Nonexistent"?! Weren't you the one to get your head plowed into the ground?! Congratulations Doyle; you just irritated Munya into grinding your overly cocky mug into the cement!" Doc returned.

"Okay… okay! Stop the macho-competition! Just agree that I was the best fighter out of all of you." Drew pushed both men apart. That shifted the argument toward her.

"_No_ way!" Doyle threw his hands in the air at his sister as Doc put his hands on his hips.

Zak rolled his eyes at his parents and uncle before he gave Komodo a noggie. The genetically-altered komodo dragon turned his eyes up at the boy before giving a smug smile. Observing the bickering adults, Fisk cocked his head before glancing over at Zon. The teal Ornithocheirous held a spunky smirk on her bill as she hissed at the gorilla-cat. Fisk barely had time to blink when playful Zon jumped on him, his ear in her mouth. Fisk yelped in surprise. Once again the Fiskerton Phantom and female Ornithocheirous tumbled to the floor. Zak and the rest of his family jumped to stop the little scrap. Life in the Saturday household goes on.

Halfway across the world, it was lunchtime across France; madmen being no exception. At Argost's dark and dank mansion, Munya made his way through the hallways carrying a trey of food and an unmarked envelope. The steely manservant came to a pair of large doors and entered the room without a knock. When the doors opened he saw piles of books at random portions of the room; usually, Argost was obsessive with the tidiness of his library. Munya resisted rolling his eye as looked around the huge bookshelves for his boss. The PILES of books was a mess that _he_ was going to have to clean up.

The genetically-altered man spotted Argost near the top of the right bookshelf. The madman was perched on the shelves, taking book after book from their carefully organized spot. He merely read the titles and grunted with frustration as he tossed the book over his shoulder, to the floor below. Jumping across the room to a new section of the bookcase, Argost leapt high above Munya's head and landed on the opposite bookshelf. Munya walked deeper into the room, toward the tall arm-chair and table before loudly setting down the tray of food. The snap of the metal on the table jolted Argost out of his feverish book search, making him jump.

"Munya!" The pale-faced madman barked down to his large manservant. "Haven't you ever heard of SILENCE in a library?!"

Munya looked up at his boss, his almost lifeless eyes observing Argost's mood. On his white face he saw where the eleven-year-old Saturday boy socked him last night; he had a deep bruise marring his face with swelling and black and blue colors. If Munya was capable of using his frozen facial muscles, he probably would have smiled at the irony.

Argost growled and went back to savaging another shelf.

"Your silent yet amused expression alerts me to the fact that you are entertained by my little defeat last night!" The madman spat, chucking another book over his shoulder. "That I, V.V. Argost, could be so catastrophically WRONG! Perish the _thought_!"

His master was sarcastic. Munya was laughing on the dark abysmal insides of himself.

"Well you can take your smug little grimace and put it on my sandwich!" Argost growled taking book after book out of its shelf. Then he froze as one caught his eyes. "Because I will never concede defeat. In fact, as the saying goes, fire refines."

With an evil cackle, Argost let go of the bookshelf and fell backwards. Munya watched his boss fall without flinching. The pale madman righted and fell to his feet like a cat, an old book in his clutches. Standing, Argost moved over to his reading chair and his manservant.

"Though the secret stone of la bête du Gévaudan did not translate the Kur Stone, as I had once thought, I did catch a glimpse of new symbols." The madman paged through the book. "My mind, as twisted and unconventional as it is, is also very photographic."

As the pages leafed by his eyes, Argost saw one of the characters he saw on the new Kur Stone. Looking at the page, he saw an ancient South American icon resembling a giant sloth with backwards feet. A smile curled onto his face.

"Through the fire, I emerge refined and more brilliant than before." Argost smiled, his dark eyes sharpening with pure evil. "The Saturdays may have given me wounds that I am now licking, but they have given me more pieces to the puzzle. Kur is becoming more and more clear with every time I meet with the troublesome family. When I have the power of Kur, I must remember to thank them… with the fat end of my boot."

With that small but very evil speech done, Argost took a seat in his reading chair. Munya gave a silent sigh as he took the silver top off of his master's lunch. That caught the man's attention.

"What is this?" Argost barked as he snatched the unmarked envelope from his lunch tray. Opening the letter, his eyes widened. "Why that surly, ridiculously over-priced _haggler_!"

Argost smashed the message in his fist. Munya smirked. He knew that was Van Rook's bill. Let's just say there were enough zeroes on the Russian mercenary's fee to circle the earth a couple of times.

**Fin**

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Well, that's it kids. I hope this was as fun to read as it was to write. I left this story off in light of a sequal. That will happen but in the future. CJzilla parts with these final words: R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL!


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